He's Still Workin' On Me

For those of you that were expecting really spiritual stuff all of the time, I’m sorry. This was a happening from my day. This is pretty typical, but it was funny, so I thought I would share.


I went to the Resource Center for Women to meet with my friends there. After my meeting with Martha, the director, I went up front to talk with Darlene, Rochelle, and Kristen. I wrapped up my chatting and headed for the van so that I could go pick up my daughter, Amelia, from preschool. I walked up to my van, pressed the unlock button on my remote and nothing happened. I pressed it again-still nothing. My van, even though I love it and it looks great, has almost 270,000 miles on it. Things like this are bound to happen. I had been hearing a strange noise when I locked the doors so I just thought that the automatic feature was broken.

I took the key and put it in the lock. It wouldn’t turn. I never use the key for the door. Maybe it never worked in the door? I step back and look at the side. I look in the window. Yes, that is my scratched door and all my kid’s artwork, toys, sippy cups, and half-eaten food in the back seats. This was a necessary step because I have tried to get in the wrong van before. There are a lot of gold Dodge mini-vans.

I sighed, pulled out my cell phone and called my father-in-law. Yes, he could pick up Amelia. He would check in with me later. Eric didn’t take his phone to work, so I would have to wait for him to call me. I was praying he would call me. I was supposed to meet him and get Ty and Tess.

I walked back to the Center. Martha met me in the hallway by Kristen’s office door. I explained to both of them what happened. As I was talking, I was breaking the remote open. Maybe if I shook the batteries, it would start working. Martha prayed aloud to ask God’s help. I put the batteries back after a good rattle. I’m sure that will work. Martha comes with me back to the van.

As I step out of the door, I start pressing unlock. As we pass Darlene’s van, I hear a click. I press the lock button. I see her locks move. I was baffled. I asked Martha, “Why are her locks working with my remote?”

I look down at the keys--a black remote, a large van key, a Kroger card, a gold house key, and a silver key. I don’t have a silver key on my ring. I look up at Martha. She asks, “Do you have Darlene’s keys?” I look in the front pocket of my purse. There is a set of keys in there--a black remote, a large van key, a Kroger card, and a gold house key. I look up and smile largely.

“Sorry. They look just like mine.”

I put the keys in Martha’s open hand. She smiled and shook her head.

I walked to my van, pressed the unlock button, and got in. When I went to talk to Darlene earlier, I sat my purse on her desk. When I got up to go and picked up my purse, I must have picked up her keys. We both have Dodge mini-vans. Apparently, we also both go Krogering.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. I would be able to meet Eric on time. Amelia was happy with her Papa. I was very thankful that the problem was resolved in a matter of 15 minutes or so. It would have been so much more embarrassing if there had been a locksmith present. I am not sure of how this fits in the Grand Master Plan, but it made me laugh and I hope that it makes you laugh too. I am a work in progress. I am so glad to have good friends, family, and a VERY patient God.