A Bolt, a Washer, and a Donut

I ran over a bolt last night. Well, I guess “ran over” is improper phrasing. That would imply that I went over the top, felt a bump, and left it behind. But I didn’t leave the bolt behind. I hit it, and it stuck, penetrating my tire, washer and all.

At the time, I didn’t know what had happened. I had simply steered my car slightly to the left to go around a policeman pulling someone over for a traffic violation. As soon, as I did, I heard the awful sound, repeating itself with every turn of the wheel. Having learned last year that you don’t drive on a flat tire - not even a couple blocks to make it home - I promptly pulled over. It was late so it was hard to see, but I checked both tires on the driver’s side of my car, and neither was flat. So instead of hiking the 5 blocks home, I drove slowly to my empty driveway.

That was the end of my dealings with the bolt. Now it was in David’s hands. And literally, my car was in his hands. This morning, he came over to remove the tire and attach the donut. The cheap, little jack given so graciously to me by the Ford Motor Company was not sufficient for the job. With the bad tire removed and the donut down by David’s feet, the car began slipping forward, and David was forced to keep it from falling with one hand while reaching for and attaching the donut with the other. What a task!

It’s crazy to me that the bolt would have been an easy miss if the policeman hadn’t been stopping that motorist, if the car in front of me had hit it instead, or if it had simply been run over instead of lodged in my tire. So clearly, there must be something to be gleaned from the bolt experience, some sort of spiritual truth or slice of wisdom.

Surprisingly, the bolt hasn’t bothered me for this very reason. I was meant to be pierced by it. For all you Word Nerds out there, ‘pierce’ has two meanings that apply here: 1. to put a hole in something and 2. to gain insight or knowledge. So my hope for today is that my tire won’t be the only thing pierced. I pray that my heart will be as well. I pray that it will be penetratable, pliable, and impassioned. I pray that it will be open to receive the Truth that God desires to offer it through a bolt, a washer, and a donut.

Hope your weekend includes a piercing moment of some sort!