They have been building for some time now, these indications that something is wrong. It began with a left-turn signal that suddenly began blinking as if it were on its third cup of coffee before six a.m. Then, the transmission selection indicator in the console quit working. The dome light then began working as sporadically as a painter’s helper on a three-week binge. Headlight bulbs, which normally last a decade or more, had to be replaced every few months. As long as the car kept running, though, I just adapted. Finally, Saturday, even I hit my limit.

As I was driving around I-435 in Kansas City around eight o’clock Saturday morning, tooling right along at seventy or so, I noticed my headlights weren’t on. I twisted the control to move from parking lights to headlights.

As soon as I did, the entire electrical system shut down: cruise control quit, tape player quit, dashboard lights quit. Not the least of my immediate concerns was that the engine also quit. I still had power steering and brakes due to the forced rotation of the motor and so I quickly checked my mirrors and headed toward the shoulder. On the way there, I twisted the light switch back to the “Off” position.

Everything started working again, sort of. The engine ran rough, but it still ran. I prayed as if I were praying for deliverance from the face of a cliff. “Please get me to this workshop safely, Lord,” I entreated. In just a few seconds, I added, “And I’d really like to be able to drive this thing back home this afternoon.” The car hiccupped its way for the ten more miles to my destination and I pulled into the parking lot with a mixture of fear and relief. What if the car wouldn’t start again?

Well, I’m happy to say that the Lord answered both parts of that prayer. The car started up fine and ran smoothly. I didn’t dare touch any electrical controls on the way home, except for the turn signal. I declare quite solemnly, also, this ’97 Camry isn’t leaving town until it’s been repaired.

Sooner or later, most of us reach a point where no more warnings are necessary. It would be good if we listened before we started limping.

H. Arnett
10/12/09