Flat Tire Follies

I am so tired of flat tires!

A few weeks back Jo, Maddy, Asiimwe Grace and I went to the clinic in Ogongera to do some work. The day started well and we reached Mbale in good time. That 140 kilometer ride from Jinja is over some of the finest roadway in Uganda. However the next 105 kilometers to Soroti is over some of the worst roadway that this country has to offer.

As we were leaving Mbale on the bad road the truck began to feel a little squirrelly. Just then I moved over to let a vehicle pass and he pointed to my tires so we stopped. Both rears were almost completely flat. Fortunately the Lord allowed this to happen in front of the last service station for the next 25 kilometers so we limped in and began the process of repairing the punctures.

Two hours later with the spare in place and the two tire tubes patched we started again. Things went well for 50 kilometers until the spare, now on the right rear, went flat.

The rack for the spare on the truck is under the bed of the pickup and it has a chain hoist that lowers the spare to the ground when you need it. At least it is designed to work that way. In my yard it works that way but on the road, especially in the dirt and mud it does not! It likes to stick, get jammed and fail right when it is the most inconvenient time. It seems that is the nature of anything associated with a flat tire. Maximum annoyance with a minimum of reliability.

So now I am under the truck on my back trying to lift the tire up with one hand while using my shaky left hand to guide the chain. While doing this Grace is attempting to lower the chain with the handle. Too bad he can't remember which way to turn the handle, so he raises the spare back up getting my hand stuck between the bed and the tire. I carefully monitor my tone of voice and ask Grace to kindly turn it in the other direction. To an untrained bystander it may have sounded more like a growl or even a shout concerning the prospective lifespan of Grace at that particular moment depending on his next choice of action. To be exact I said, " If you value your life you'd better turn the handle the other way. NOW!" Grace does indeed have a strong value system when it comes to his longevity and down came the tire on my chest. The added pressure kept me from saying anything else that might have offended anyone. The hand stopped bleeding as the dirt encased and sealed up the wound. The rest of the tire change was a piece of cake.

We bought a new tube in Soroti and proceeded to do our work at the clinic.

Since then as you have read elsewhere we have had 8 more flat tires on various vehicles. But God is in control and teaching me to be more patient with others and not to put my expectations on them. I need to enjoy the ride He has me on. Even if the tires aren't round any more. I think Jesus wants me to know that where I'm going is important and so is when I get there. But not at the cost of forgetting where I am now and how I behave in the present in His presence.