Tribute to Dad

This week I have stood (or sat) in awe of my dad. He is resilient. He endures an increasingly heavy load and keeps going with an overall good attitude. What has been adding to his load lately is the uncanny trial of car problems, one that began in January.

Shortly after Rachel left for overseas, the head gasket in Dad's Corsica blew up. God providentially had Rachel's car sitting in the drive for him to use. Since she was not due back for six months, Dad in the meantime searched for used cars and engines but never discovered a winner. He was slightly sidetracked when spring arrived. Both lawn mowers needed work.

Fast-forward to Rachel's return. He found on the Internet a blue Corsica for sale in Sedalia, MO, with 104,000 miles. It needed some new parts before it could run, which the dealership covered, so purchasing the car was pushed back a week.

During this time, Rachel and I rear-ended a truck in St. Louis. Though we weren't moving fast, the car incurred an estimated $1700 in passenger-side and front-end damage. We could still drive it at least, though I had to crawl out the driver's side of the car. (I begged Rachel to let me crawl out the passenger-side window like a NASCAR driver but to no avail.)

The following Friday, Dad and Ronnie installed a new compressor into the truck. Saturday, Dad and Rachel drove four and a half hours to Sedalia and bought the car. About 100 miles into the return leg, the belt broke on the Corsica. They had to leave the car overnight somewhere off Highway 50. With a new belt and several tools, they headed west again Sunday morning. Come to find out, two bolts in the compressor were stripped out, which caused everything to shift, leading to the belt's break and a hole in the radiator. Dad and Rachel drove for about 16 1/2 hours that weekend, and my dad had to go to a blazing hot factory the next day.

The same day, Mom and I bought groceries at Wal-Mart. Immediately after parking the Beretta in front of the house, the brakes went out. Dad replaced a portion of the brake line as quickly as he could and bled the brakes. We see God's care, as in other instances of His wisdom and providence, and are thankful that the brakes didn't quit while on the road. Dad said he felt led not to take Rachel's car that morning to go fix the Corsica.

Last week, I think, the fuel pump on the truck went out on my dad's way home from work. We then had four vehicles in the drive and only one running--Rachel's Beretta with one functioning door. Gerald replaced the fuel pump the next day while my dad worked. Meanwhile, my mom was having to go to the hospital often, so we borrowed my grandma's car on several occasions.

This week, Dad replaced the EGR valve in the Corsica, so it can now run, though it still lacks a good radiator. The most recent problems now is the truck's overheating and the Beretta's brakes' refusal to pump up completely.

My dad's been going and going from sunup to past sundown in the heat. He said himself one night, "You can't keep a good man down, especially a man of God." Thanks for being an example of perseverance, Dad.