Trials Of Many Kinds

Yesterday, Tim, Matthew, and I got up early (at least we thought it was) and left home at 7:15 AM. Tim needed winter tires for his new car and we thought we'd get an early start before the rush. Right. We stopped first at a tire store to pick up four rims that Tim bought the day before. Then we went to Costco to buy four winter tires to put on those rims. However, when we got to Costco at 8:00 AM, there were 40 people already waiting in line at the tire service department.

After we waited an hour, I gave Tim the keys to my RAV4 so he could take Matthew to the LRT station to catch the train to university. I continued to stay in the line-up. I waited for another hour, passing the time by talking to a lady behind me. She teaches First Nations history and art.

Finally, there was only one person left in front of me. But then the tire service manager told us that they were no longer booking appointments for the day, and that I and the rest of the people might as well go home. I was so disappointed!

After pondering for a second my perplexing situation, I turned to the cashier and asked if I could just buy the tires and take them home with me. She said I could, but she would have to check to see if they were in stock. They were. I thought, "Well, that's good. At least the two hours I spent waiting won't be wasted."

When I was about to pay for the tires, Tim arrived and stood behind me. Just before I slid his debit card through the machine, I hesitated (to Tim's great relief). The amount was $8,280. I then casually commented as if it was no big deal, "Those tires are sure expensive." I couldn't help myself. Honestly. After all, the money was coming out of Tim's account, not mine. Tim didn't say a word. I think he was frozen in horror.

The puzzled and embarrassed lady stared at the computer and tried to figure out what she did wrong. She had charged me for 64 tires! She quickly corrected the amount to a more reasonable one. (It was still wrong, but I wasn't aware of that until we were half-way home.)

On the way home, Tim was studying the bill in the car. He turned to me and said, "You were charged for the tires that the lady in front of us bought." Her tires were for a four-wheel drive vehicle, not a small car, and so they were much more expensive . . . $250 more.

I turned to Tim in disbelief and asked, "You gotta be kidding?"

Unfortunately, Tim responded, "No."

I turned the car around and started to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation as we headed back to Costco. I thought to myself, "Is this ever going to end?"

Not yet anyways. The lady at Costco told me that if I wanted the tires installed, I would have to come early tomorrow and wait in line at an insane 5:30 AM (it doesn't open until 8:00 AM), because that's when people start coming. I immediately decided I wasn't going to do that. Tim can pay more money and go to another tire store to have the tires put on the rims. He was in agreement.

On the way home from Costco the second time, we stopped at another tire store. The man at the service department sarcastically told me to come back in February. Tim and I looked at each other and he then spoke words of great wisdom that I will share with you all: Don't buy a car in winter.

It is now quarter to five in the morning while I am typing this blog. I am starting to waver in my initial decision and wonder if I am crazy enough to go back to Costco. I think I just might be! Second thought: "No, I'm going back to bed. I will deal with it later. The tires and rims can wait."

The Bible says we are to view problems we face in life positively because they teach us patience.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

James 1:2-3

I don't know about you, but the words, "many kinds", scare me.

I know for one thing, yesterday's experience made me laugh, so I guess I passed that test. I hope I pass future ones as well.