My goodness, the car issues going on around here are truly getting out of hand. OK, Paul's truck was having that thermostat problem. His friend came over last night to change it, because it's 'only a 10 minute job'. After almost an hour, they come in our of the cold and announce that his friend has to come back tomorrow (which is today). They needed some extra tools. Well in the midst of talking to him and his wife (her and me and been enjoying a nice conversation in the warm kitchen), we told them we were getting oil changes on the vehicles today. He says, "I'll do it, it's like a 10 minute job." Well, ok, if he really wants to. So he tells us what we need to buy, what kind of oil, oil filter etc... So today we get out early and get our grocery shopping done, picking up the oil and filters. It was a tight morning, but we got home with about 30 minutes to spare before his friend got here. So they finish working on his truck. Every time I go out there, it was another 'issue'. Ugh. They couldn't get the oil filter off (the last mechanic put it on dry, whatever that means). So after fighting with that, they get the oil filter changed. So in the midst of them working, I had cleaned out the Jeep, which is our main car. I used Fabreeze all over it and aired it out (it was getting a musty smell from all the snow from our shoes in there). So about an hour or so after this, I realize we forgot to go to the bread store when we were out shopping. So since the guys were still finishing up with the truck, I jumped in the Jeep to go real quick. None of my gauges worked! It started, heated and all that. But I couldn't tell how much gas I had, oil or even how fast I was going. So I ran to the store real quick, since it was close and it closes early. I get back, they finish with the truck, they get the Jeep in there. We figure its a fuse, but they were going to start working on the oil first. They open the hood, we are all just looking around and I ask, "What's that?", pointing to this stuff in my engine. Paul's friend looks at it and casually says, "Oh that's a mouse nest." What!?!?!? OK, for those of you who don't know, I have this germ issue. The Lord is truly getting me through it, and I think He throws in things like this just to work me through it. Mice are one of my biggest germ issue makers. I mean huge. Unhealthy fear, kind of huge. It is the one thing that really can set me off. So I practically run out of the garage. Paul says, very calmly, "Honey it's o.k., its from our old town." He can tell already that my mind is racing and I'm thinking all my things stored in the garage have to be tossed because a mouse might have gone by it and its now 'contaminated'. Just from walking by it. (I told you it was a very unhealthy fear). So I just look at him, and all I can keep saying is 'Yuck'. I mean, its in my Jeep. The same Jeep I drive all the time. Yuck. So he quietly comes by me and says, "Don't worry honey, I'll get it cleaned out, I'll wear gloves, it will be o.k." Because he knows how I will react if he touches any of that without gloves on. He'll then bring it in the house, and the house will be contaminated. I hate feeling this way. But you know what, there is a small part of me that doesn't care. There is a glimmer of the old me that thinks, "So, get it cleaned up, we don't have to decontaminate ourselves, its not that big of deal." See, that's how I use to be. I never was a germ freak. But with a lot of other emotional issues that came up the past few years, that was one that came up. What's funny, is when I feel these two emotions of 'fear, run, contamination' and the other 'its o.k., no contamination, just clean it, normally, not freakishly', I feel like if I'm casual about it, if I don't freak about it, that I'm wrong. I think, well, I should freak about it, I should worry about contamination, and I'm wrong for not fearing it. Weird. The Lord is truly bringing me through it. And I am getting to the point, I don't care what anyone else thinks, if it doesn't bother me, then it doesn't bother me. And that's o.k. Its like I feel like it has to bother me, because it would bother others. Lord help me to truly get rid of this fear. Help me to trust in You, and know that no matter how clean I think I clean things, that they truly are not perfect. And that you are our Protector. Help me to let it all go. Knowing its not my fault, or something that I am to always take care of.
Well, I was going to type more, but Paul just came in and said even with all the work they did on the truck, it's still not heating up. And that he did get rid of the mouse nest. Of course now I want him to get rid of his gloves before he touches anything else. Because the germs got on his gloves, which will get on everything else. OK, so I guess I'm not as over it as I thought. But you know what, I'm going to try real hard to go out there and say, don't worry about the gloves. If he feels its o.k., then its o.k. Plus, I'm going to go try and encourage the guys a bit. It has been a long day. Any prayers would be great. Thanks.
Oh dear! I am impressed with your friend though. He is sticking through thick and thin! I am a germ phobic in rehab myself. I had to take microbiology in college and ever since then I have been germ phobic. I have so many little things of hand sanitizer in every little spot I can think of. My kids get it all the time when we are out. So I feel for you. BTW, I know mice live in our garage and I am praying that I don't meet one face to face. I am also praying none will come inside the house! I am serious. I would freak.....
Jenn
I hope they get to the bottom of the car problems quickly. I'm so thankful you have a friend who can do this for you. A mechanic would cost so much just to find the problem. I wonder if the mouse might have chewed through a wire causing your gauge not to work. We had that happen with our boat once.
We had mice in our attic so I got over my fears about them real fast. Someone had to get serious about getting them OUT and that ended up being me. Thankfully, they never made it into the house and they were field mice, so I comforted myself with the thought that they were cleaner than city mice who crawl around in people's garbage.
Oh how we love to rationalize.
This blog is so I can share my journey with the Lord, my journey as a wife and mother, and my journey as a homeschool mom. I pray that you will see the Lord in my life through happy and sad times, and that this blog glorifies the Lord.
This is an award and tag free zone, thank you.
They needed some extra tools. Well in the midst of talking to him and his wife (her and me and been enjoying a nice conversation in the warm kitchen), we told them we were getting oil changes on the vehicles today. He says, "I'll do it, it's like a 10 minute job." Well, ok, if he really wants to. So he tells us what we need to buy, what kind of oil, oil filter etc... So today we get out early and get our grocery shopping done, picking up the oil and filters. It was a tight morning, but we got home with about 30 minutes to spare before his friend got here. So they finish working on his truck. Every time I go out there, it was another 'issue'. Ugh. They couldn't get the oil filter off (the last mechanic put it on dry, whatever that means). So after fighting with that, they get the oil filter changed. So in the midst of them working, I had cleaned out the Jeep, which is our main car. I used Fabreeze all over it and aired it out (it was getting a musty smell from all the snow from our shoes in there). So about an hour or so after this, I realize we forgot to go to the bread store when we were out shopping. So since the guys were still finishing up with the truck, I jumped in the Jeep to go real quick. None of my gauges worked! 
It started, heated and all that. But I couldn't tell how much gas I had, oil or even how fast I was going. So I ran to the store real quick, since it was close and it closes early. I get back, they finish with the truck, they get the Jeep in there. We figure its a fuse, but they were going to start working on the oil first. They open the hood, we are all just looking around and I ask, "What's that?", pointing to this stuff in my engine. Paul's friend looks at it and casually says, "Oh that's a mouse nest." 
What!?!?!? OK, for those of you who don't know, I have this germ issue. The Lord is truly getting me through it, and I think He throws in things like this just to work me through it. Mice are one of my biggest germ issue makers. I mean huge. Unhealthy fear, kind of huge. It is the one thing that really can set me off. So I practically run out of the garage. Paul says, very calmly, "Honey it's o.k., its from our old town." He can tell already that my mind is racing and I'm thinking all my things stored in the garage have to be tossed because a mouse might have gone by it and its now 'contaminated'. Just from walking by it. (I told you it was a very unhealthy fear). So I just look at him, and all I can keep saying is 'Yuck'. I mean, its in my Jeep. The same Jeep I drive all the time. Yuck. So he quietly comes by me and says, "Don't worry honey, I'll get it cleaned out, I'll wear gloves, it will be o.k." Because he knows how I will react if he touches any of that without gloves on. He'll then bring it in the house, and the house will be contaminated. I hate feeling this way. 
But you know what, there is a small part of me that doesn't care. There is a glimmer of the old me that thinks, "So, get it cleaned up, we don't have to decontaminate ourselves, its not that big of deal." See, that's how I use to be. I never was a germ freak. But with a lot of other emotional issues that came up the past few years, that was one that came up. What's funny, is when I feel these two emotions of 'fear, run, contamination' and the other 'its o.k., no contamination, just clean it, normally, not freakishly', I feel like if I'm casual about it, if I don't freak about it, that I'm wrong. I think, well, I should freak about it, I should worry about contamination, and I'm wrong for not fearing it. Weird. The Lord is truly bringing me through it. And I am getting to the point, I don't care what anyone else thinks, if it doesn't bother me, then it doesn't bother me. And that's o.k. Its like I feel like it has to bother me, because it would bother others. Lord help me to truly get rid of this fear. Help me to trust in You, and know that no matter how clean I think I clean things, that they truly are not perfect. And that you are our Protector. Help me to let it all go. Knowing its not my fault, or something that I am to always take care of.
