A little over a week ago, on a very snowy night, I was in my first ever car accident. For years I have prided myself on being an excellent driver, no speeding tickets, nothing. But I certainly was humbled in that regard this particular night. Thankfully no one was hurt and no other cars were involved. But my favorite little ole’ 2003 Buick named Shelby saw her last drive. It was such an unexpected moment but I have no doubt that my Guardian Angel was looking out for me because it certainly could have been a lot worse. 

When my mechanic informed me that Shelby was not worth recovering it was a very somber and depressing moment for me. Shelby was my first car and, not to sound weird but, it certainly felt like a first love. I started to reminisce on the memories we had together and the adventures we went on and how she was always so reliable. It was strangely enough, very hard to say goodbye and a few tears were definitely shed.

In the days that followed, I experienced something similar to the stages of grief. I know, it sounds strange, but it was hard to let something so important to me go. I found myself in the chapel angered, frustrated, stressed, and constantly asking the question why. I already had so much going on in my life and this was the last thing that I needed. I asked the Lord to speak into these things and show me some sort of direction or comfort or something, anything. 

In that moment I opened my eyes and saw a picture of the Holy Family and I thought, “Wow, the Holy Family didn’t have a car to get from Bethlehem to Egypt”. They literally packed up what little they had onto a donkey and, without hesitation, made the treacherous and perilous journey to Egypt which had to have taken weeks, if not months.  They couldn’t afford to be attached to any things because they needed to protect the Son of God. I have no doubt they made sacrifices beyond any of our imagination and yet, all of their needs were provided for. God took care of them because they knew what was important and were perfectly following His Will. 

This led me to think of Matthew 6 which discusses how God takes care of the birds of the air and lilies of the field and how much more the Lord will provide for us. The line that stuck out to me in a new way was, “Therefore do not be anxious saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6: 31-33). This made me sit back and really think about how I approach my possessions and, specifically in that moment, my car. I knew what the Lord was telling me to do. And it was one simple word. 

Surrender.

A concept I had heard of by Catholics far too many times but wasn’t exactly sure how to actualize it. It always seemed like a vague term to me and therefore I didn’t really know how to incorporate it into my prayer. So I just decided to give it a shot and said, “Lord, I don’t know what I am doing but I surrender my concerns about my car and surrender the idea that I need to figure it out on my own to you. I am trusting and hoping that by bringing this mess to you, you can take control and provide for me like you do for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field”. 

Through that simple invitation, I could feel the stress and the weight being lifted. In the hours and days that followed, the Lord made sure I was provided for. Several people offered to give me rides, the junkyard gave me a good price for my car, I had help in searching for a new car and I was at peace. But the crux of it all went beyond these small provisions. The Lord showed me the gifts that come with living with less. By inviting the Lord into my troubles, he showed me how much bigger he is than all of it and how he truly is the most important thing that I have in my life. There is no need in my life that is bigger than my need for the Lord. 

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). What a gift it is, to be able to surrender our concerns, needs, and worries, big and small, to the Lord, and to have the confidence that he is already working to orchestrate a solution for us. What a blessing it is to know, with full conviction, that there is someone that desires to see to our next need and to provide for us without hesitation. The Lord will never leave us abandoned and if we truly place our trust in Him over things, He will shower us gifts we could have never bought in a store or gotten for ourselves.