That old familiar sound of plastic wheels rolling on the asphalt echoed down our driveway as squirrels and frogs scurried out of the way to avoid a collision. However, the John Deere Gator carried an extra crunching noise this particular day that seemed to be in perfect rhythm with the rotation of the back tires. I asked my oldest son, Knox, to stop so I could investigate the problem. We slightly rotated the back tires only to find that they were so worn down the plastic was splitting and cracking. It was the toddler’s version of a flat tire. Doing donuts on the hot asphalt mixed with some off road miles proved to be their demise. It’s 2021 so I ordered some new tires on Amazon before we even walked back inside. The tires arrived a few days later and they were fairly “easy” to replace. I define easy as a project that takes about double the time I thought it would with only one or two minor arguments with my wife, Erin, along the way. (If you’re a husband, you just smiled!) 

About a week later, the boys were driving the Gator and struggling to get up a hill they’ve climbed effortlessly a million times. A horrific grinding noise accompanied their struggle. I thought back to my “easy” project and remembered that I failed to see the R and L on the tires and accidentally switched them around. Of course, the enemy sees the open doorway to my thoughts. “Gosh I’m so stupid, I bet I messed those wheels up. No, I couldn’t have. Well, maybe I did. But there’s no way that causes this noise!” My thoughts ran wild. The year was still 2021 so I began that obscure google search that landed me into some open online power wheels forums where other mad dads try to figure out why they aren’t smarter. One mad dad wrote, “If you hear grinding, it’s time to change the motor and gearboxes.” It looked more complicated than the tires I had barely accomplished replacing but God was giving me a chance to rely on Him. 

Admittedly, I wanted to take the easy route and get a new Gator from the factory but the cost of new motors and gearboxes was only about $50. God also shifted my thoughts back to Mark Batterson’s book, Play the Man. In the section titled, Do Hard Things, he writes, “When you hike the Grand Canyon or build a mud hut, you discover muscles you didn’t know you had. And that’s precisely the point. You’ve got to put yourself in positions that will push you past your previous limits. That’s how you grow.” This repair was surely going to be more than I’ve taken on before. My self confidence was low but my God confidence was high! 

God brought me through several thoughts and scriptures as I waited for those parts to arrive in the mail.

Luke 12:7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 

God cares about the little things. It’s hard for me to believe that God cared about my boy’s John Deere Gator and the repairs I had to make but He absolutely does. Everything is little compared to God and He even keeps up with the number of hairs on our heads! 

God wants to father us through everything and cares about every detail of our lives. Praying through the big moments in life tends to be much easier than those small mundane ones. 

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done

It feels so natural to ask God for help when buying a house, taking a big test, driving to an important interview, or hopping on an airplane but I seem to forget that He wants to be with us when we feed the dogs, get the kids ready for school, repair an appliance, or drive to the grocery store. What’s a little thing that you need to let God into? 

Mine was letting Him into this small repair, to cover an otherwise small thing in prayer. I listened to Him when he prompted me to invite the whole family to be a part of it. (The boys loved that by the way) I listened when He asked me to step out of my comfort zone and rely on Him. I felt at ease regardless of the outcome because I knew I was doing something God prompted me to do. 

My answer to D.I.Why? isn’t because everything will go perfectly. I’ve had a few projects blow up in my face and had to hire a professional to finish the job. My answer to D.I.Why? is simply that God can father you through anything and stepping out of your comfort zone is never a bad thing. The real outcome is the growth of your faith and reliance on God. Fortunately, this time around the motor and gearbox repair went pretty well and I got to be the hero for fixing two little boys’ favorite rig. What dad doesn’t want to be the hero? 

Just fishing with my daddy, 

Ryan

P.S. If you’re awesome at household repairs, this won’t resonate with you. However, I’m just an accountant who aspires to change his own oil one day.