“…call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:15)

It was early morning and I was on my way to work when I stopped to fill up my car with gas. I noticed the station had one of those drive-into automated car washes. Having recently parked under a tree my car definitely needed the cleaning. I figured I had just enough time to go through the wash before going on to work.

I entered my code for the wash and pulled in until the stop light indicated that my car was in the right position. The large robotic machine lurched into motion and passed my car once to rinse. The second pass over it began to dump a lot of soap over my car. Then a third pass over my car and the soap continued to pour. And that’s when it happened with a “boom.” It just simply stopped! No more sound, no more moving, it shut down, and the red stop light was still lit up.

Here I am dressed up for work and I am literally stuck in my car covered in soapy bubbles in a car wash!  Isn’t it true in life? Sometimes we get stuck! Sometimes things in life break down. How often have you entered into your day with an expectation of things going normally only to have something break down and alter everything? Maybe it’s your car, or a relationship, or a job-related event, or a health situation.

Well, I sat there for a moment wondering what to do and then reached for my phone. I googled the station’s name and found a phone number. I prayed someone would answer my call. A voice on the other line identified the right gas station and I said, “Hi, I am stuck in your car wash right now and need some help.”

In this moment a voice on the other end said, “I will be right there to help.” Soon the attendant came out and tried valiantly to reset the wash. And after several attempts, she directed me out of the wash and next to a hose so the soap could be washed off of my car. She was super apologetic and gave me a free coffee for the trouble. I thanked her for helping me get “unstuck.”

Sometimes things in your life will break down and that means sometimes you will get stuck. But the Lord assures you that you will never be without help. The Lord tells us that He stands ready to answer and help us when we call.

“…call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:15) He promises to hear our cries for assistance and that He will bring deliverance.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we do know that so often things do not go as planned, and sometimes we do find ourselves stuck. Sometimes it’s because of the things that we’ve done. Sometimes it’s because of the things that others have done. Sometimes, Lord, it is because of the way this world works.

And yet, Lord, You have promised to us that You are always there to hear us. You will always pick up that line and hear our cry for help, and that You will be with us, and that You will save us.

And so, with that confidence, may we go into this week, and if there happens to be something that breaks down this week, would You just help us to remember You help it to be a moment where we can thank You that You are there for us and that we would praise you, even the midst of something going wrong?

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.