Fender Bender Blues

One of the things I most worry about here in Lesotho, is how to access services that are out of the ordinary. One of the things out of the ordinary would be vehicle trouble on the road or an accident. There is no AMA (AAA) equivalent in Lesotho. Last week I was involved in a fender bender.

We were driving into one of the villages which form part of Maseru; driving home one of Wendy's former students who had been visiting. As we came up a hill with a sharp turn at the top, coming down was a Toyota pick-up, ... pulling a BUS!! The two vehicles were connected with a long tow bar and as they came around the corner and down the hill, the weight of the bus began to push the back of the pick-up into my lane. The driver could not compensate as that would have meant steering into my lane. In slow motion, the bus pushed the pick-up sideways and into my lane. I was not fast enough to get my vehicle into reverse and out of the way before contact was made.

I sat in my vehicle frustrated and upset. The damage to my vehicle was minor and only cosmetic, but I was thinking of the bother that I would have to go through to find an autobody shop and arrange for repairs. ... And insurance. In Lesotho, vehicle insurance is optional, even public liability, and as I was soon to learn the other driver, of course, had none. As I got out of the vehicle I recalled, or God brought to mind, some of the things I had been recently reading about His ways - that every detail of my life is in his hands, even this crazy situation. And crazy it was.

In Lesotho, a vehicle accident draws a crowd. In minutes we were engulfed in a crowd of 50-70 curious spectators. Wendy helped keep the mood light, as she couldn't stop chuckling about the absurdity of the situation and the little truck towing the big bus. And, what would we have done without Wendy's student? While I walked around shaking my head, inspecting the damage to my vehicle, and trying to appreciate this God given "detail", she was engaging the other driver and dealing with the crowd.

In the end the driver offered to meet me the next day and take me to a panel beaters (auto body shop) where he knew the proprietor. The other driver was a man of his word and met me the next day as arranged. We visited his friend the panel beater, received a quote, and the driver offered to pay the full amount of the repairs. The panel beater, meanwhile was anxious to get started. The next morning, a day and a half after the mishap, I had my vehicle back looking ... well not quite like new, but certainly acceptable.

I am left thinking of the lesson I was given. In truth, I really didn't even have time to get into worrying and fretting about the situation. It was just a little detail in God's perspective. My fears and anxieties and worry about repairs and finding a shop had been for naught. God knew what was needed and he provided. I still shake my head in amazement. The more likely scenario would have been for the other driver to blame me, or never show up for the arranged meeting and to just disappear. But that didn't happen. In the future, I hope I will remember God's grace in this situation, and Jesus words in Luke 12:22-31. He cares about the details in my life, and if I but trust him*, he can bring good from whatever comes my way.** .

~ Benno ~

*1 Peter 5:7
**Romans 8:28