More Than Roadside Assistance

Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. – John 14:13 (CEV)

Perhaps you’re one of the 61 million card-carrying members of the largest automobile club in America – AAA. Or maybe your automobile insurance company has the exclusive policy perk of being there for you when you’re driving and run into trouble: mechanical problems, flat tire, dead battery, out of fuel, etc. Whatever the case may be, we don’t often think about the value of roadside assistance until…

… We run into trouble.

My wife recently traveled to spend a few days with her dad. He lives 100 miles away, and it’s basically in the middle of Nowhere, NY. Shortly after arriving, she phoned to tell me that there was a strange noise coming from under the hood, a “knocking” noise (it turned out to be the air-conditioning compressor). But at the time we didn’t know that, it’s not like we’re auto mechanics. And the car is 10 years old, around the age when expensive things start to break or go bad. 

So as soon as she called my mind started racing. This is going to be seriously expensive… my engine is shot… there are no mechanics where her father lives, and my personal mechanic, who I most trust with repairing my automobiles, is here at home and 100 miles away.

And I had just canceled my annual AAA membership, not even 60 days earlier. Talk about timing…  

With few options remaining, I called my insurance company. Thankfully they carried the day! It still ended up costing me a couple hundred dollars, but at least half of the towing bill was covered. Otherwise it would’ve been several hundred dollars. 

This got me to thinking about the many times that I’ve called upon God the same way I call the 1-800 number on the back of my auto insurance card. “Hey, I know it’s been a minute or two, but I don’t know what to do and desperately need your help. Yes – I know that this call is being recorded, and no – I’m not interested in providing feedback before I hang up with you. Just send help immediately!”

And what does God do? He responds! Every single time! And He doesn’t just send a few gallons of gas, or a tow truck when we need it. He sends food and blankets. He sends a mechanic. He sends a loaner car. He sends an Ambassador to take care of every need we have. 

God’s grace covers everything, even the stuff that we never think about. 

And then not even a couple days later, like that insurance card in our wallet, we put Him in our back pockets until trouble finds us again. You would think that God would be wise to our ploys. And you would be right. He is all-knowing.

Perhaps that’s the remarkable thing about God’s grace and love for us. He knows the selfish nature of our hearts, and yet He still responds to our cries for help and gives us everything we need.

God is more than Roadside Assistance. He is our Father in Heaven and he cares deeply about every need we have. So let us, with gratitude for all He has done for us, take Him out of our back pockets and place Him into the center of our hearts.

He is worthy of all glory, honor and praise! Amen.