Aligned

 It was time for my truck to get some new shoes. We bought the tires seven years ago last month on our first driving trip to Chiang Khong. Now, on our return to Thailand, there was still some tread left, but the truck had been parked for a year without moving at all due to our COVID-19 absence, so there was a bit of a flat spot.

I went to a tire shop down the road from our house. They sell budget tires, so I spent less than I thought I would on them. But what surprised me was that the price included wheel alignment. The waiting bench is right next to the alignment station, so I got to see all that they did. They even had a computerized alignment machine.

Front End Alignment in Phon Phisai

This is a lot different than they old days. I remember when we lived in Haiti, I would do the alignment with a tape measure. Mind you, the roads were so bad, the alignment was probably shot by the time we finished the 20-mile drive to Port-au-Prince. The road conditions were such that I always carried two spare tires, except on long trips when I carried three. Unless the tires were brand new, I would get at least one flat on every trip I made to the city. And unlike North America where they normally throw out tires with hole in the sidewalls rather than repair them, in Haiti fixing sidewalls was the norm. Which was a good thing, because otherwise one would have to replace tires three times a year.

The tires lasted about a year. So if you figure that I changed a flat about once a week during a 10-month period, that makes about 40 tire changes a year over 7 years for a conservative estimate of 280 tire changes. I guess I was pretty much a tire changing expert by the end of our time there.

Hiding My Face Under a Ford Front End

I was also probably a Ford front-end specialist by the time we left Haiti. Bearings had to be repacked at least twice a year. An oil change lasted 3 months (less than 1000 miles). A lot of difference between driving in Haiti than the US or Thailand. The worse the road, the more maintenance needed.

Our lives are like that as well. As we travel life's roads, the potholes and bumps can take their toll. We need to take time to maintain our spiritual lives. Maybe we need to make a few repairs along the way. And we need to make sure our lives are in alignment with God's will.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10 (NIV)