Counting Blessings In A Breakdown
My Delight Story
This week, in our series unpacking the gift of Sabbath—drawing from John Mark Comer’s “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”—I opened with a simple question: “What delighted you this past week?”
I have to share mine.
IT HAPPENED ON MONDAY. Stephanie and I, joined by my amazing parents from Dublin, Ohio, were well-dressed and ready for a special evening. We had some logistical responsibilities for the event, so we planned to arrive early. Everything was timed to perfection—our octogenarian parents magnificently marching on cue, our supplies neatly packed, and our trusted 2013 Kia Sorento, with its 180,000 miles of faithful service, ready to take us on yet another journey.
WE PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, barely covering 30 feet, when it felt as if the engine had dropped out from beneath us. The car lurched and stopped—completely immobile. It wouldn’t go forward. It wouldn’t go backward. The engine howled in protest. I stepped out to investigate and was met with a sight I’d never seen before: the front right tire, still tenuously attached, was turned at an almost 90-degree angle—completely severed from the axle.
NOW, YOU MIGHT ASK—where is the delight in this?
On the stand: I am the dad of the kid who wrote the powerful song about counting blessings—a magnificent anthem to sing, but was the “song” alive in me?
By God's grace…
FIRST, I was moved with gratitude that we have another vehicle and made an abrupt transition— with a little comedy of my thoughtful dad, not quite getting how the cooler fit in the trunk, sharing some of it's contents with the road. All was just fine.
SECOND, though we arrived later than planned, we still had sufficient time to set up and enjoy an unforgettable evening with wonderful friends old and new. (A special fireside chat cocktail hour with Clark Judge, a speechwriter for President Reagan, who regaled us with incredible stories—sponsored by my new gig, Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership).
THIRD, while I was tempted to be haunted by the need to shell money we hadn't expected to spend just a week earlier… after needing to replace our HVAC system a few weeks ago… after having to replace a roof a few months before that… Something else took my wheel.
HOLY SPIRIT-HAUNTED MEMORIES. This was the car that had carried our family’s life across state lines. It had hauled our children’s belongings to their homes, weathered brutal winters with its all-wheel drive, and served as an unspoken witness to our everyday moments—both the ordinary and the monumental.
More than that, delight came in the timing. What if this failure had occurred two weeks earlier, when one of our children was driving? What if it had happened at 13 degrees, in the dead of night, on the highway, with snow falling and roads icing over? What might have been *then*?
TOO OFTEN, we fixate on our immediate troubles and overlook the blessings woven into the full picture. Who are we to live in an era where vehicles even exist? (Have you ever wondered what it was like to get from one place to another in an open wagon, for instance, in sub-zero temperatures?) Or to have the means to own them? Or to be surrounded by relationships that transform them from mere machines into carriers of memories and meaning?
That is my delight.
AND I MUST ADD, my gratitude extends beyond the blessings of the past to the people in the present. To our friends at Perrysburg Auto Mall, the Cronin family, who have sold members of our family seven or eight vehicles over the past 12 years—people whose business exudes professional excellence, real integrity, and genuine care.
And, in keeping with this theme of time’s passage and gratitude amid both smooth roads and unexpected breakdowns, I have to mention the person who helped us replace our trusted Sorento: Charlie Cronin—Rich and Connie’s son.
There’s something profoundly beautiful about all this. A transition from old to new, from one generation to the next.
The road continues. And for that, I give thanks. #ThankYouJesus #StillCountingMyBlessings
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"Twelve Roses is a poignant and transformative tale that deeply explores themes of faith, love, loss, and the boundless power of God's grace in our messy and often painful lives."
~ Mary Guilfoyle (Acts XXIX)
