It was just another early Saturday morning spent exercising at our front porch when two tall and lanky men appeared in front of us, telling us something we could not understand. Clad in a full-suited uniform with a large grass-cutting machine strapped to their backs and holding a long rod with an electric blade at the end, they looked quite formidable.
“Oh sure, okay,” we smiled, not really understanding the content of what had transpired.
We had assumed, that since we were exercising on the grassy yard, they were asking us if they could go ahead to cut the grass.
But they lingered.
It was not until they led both Cliff and I round the corner, that my jaw dropped and I understood the full matter of what they were trying to convey to us.
“Oh… my….” I said, “OH MY!”
There in front of us, was our car driver’s windscreen smashed with dramatic Hollywood splendor.
“Sorry,” the men said, “Stone, small…grass-cut… fly…. Break car…”
It was the ever-calm and optimistic husband who said, “Wow, what a surprise!”
Of all days, this happened on the day we were supposed to bring the car for a couple interested to purchase our car before we left to view. Nonetheless, surprising even myself, I too, started to laugh. “Looks like there’s no end to our African adventures!”
Through the many months of living in Africa, we have learned to laugh instead of cry in times like these. As we looked at the broken glass shards on the ground, we thought to ourselves how grateful were we that it was the driver’s window, and not the front windscreen which got smashed; that the rock caused damage to but just a car, and not a human being; that for all the months we have been in Africa, we have never had to experience a road accident.
As soon as we went back home, Cliff and I gave each other a hug, realizing we could thank God for many more things- that the grass-cutting staff came to inform us personally of the mishap, caused by a tiny stone flown from their grass-cutting blade. They could have walked away and we would never have known a thing. Instead these honest men came to tell us the simple truth, and asked us to pass them the receipt from the repairs for reimbursement.
In record time, our wonderful Ugandan car mechanic, Jamil, also whizzed over to help to replace the windscreen, making the car as good as new again. He also agreed to visit our church for the first time.
Most of all, we were grateful knowing that God had done a work in our hearts. A few months ago, this event would have stressed and upset us greatly. But that morning, not only did it not dampen our weekend, we were able to see the broken window as a wonderful opportunity to thank God for putting us where we were, with the amazing friends we’ve made.
Jamil and Cliff, with the car as good as new.