What A "Shock"!

Yesterday, our resident mechanic

and his trusty helper...

Installed new front and back shocks

on Joshua's pick-up truck.

Now, before you start thinking

That the mechanic is my husband...

Think again.

Although Preston is more than capable

He was at work...so it was not him.

Oh, no, in fact, it was my

 just turned 16 year old son, Samuel.

Sam is our family mechanic.

We knew that he had a knack for fixing things

Ever since he was big enough

To start bringing motors and such

home from the transfer station

to take apart and put back together...

Joshua gives Samuel a hand!



But we really didn't catch on that he had a "gift"

Until the day my washer died...literally.

One minute I was washing a load of towels...

The next minute...nothing.

Now, I know that I shouldn't complain...

After all, the machine was 100+ years old,

But, who wants their machine to die

right in the middle of wringing out towels!

My sweet husband took the back off

Talked some mechanical talk that went right over my head...

And gave me the bad news...

The part that was gone was pretty costly

And the machine just wasn't worth it.

Fortunately, we knew of a lady

Who had just inherited her grandmother's home.

She had an extra washing machine

That she was more than willing to give us

To tide us over until we could get a new one.

So my sons took the pick-up

And went to get the machine.

Unfortunately, the machine had been stored

in the grandmother's house over the winter

With no heat.

And the lines hadn't been drained...

So...water had frozen and cracked the lines

and part of the tub.

Now we had two dead machines in our garage

Waiting for Saturday to be hauled to the transfer station.

Samuel, I believe, was about 10 at the time.

After I got over the disappointment of the 2nd machine

And resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be

making a trip to the laundrymat...

Samuel quietly asked me...

"Mom, do you mind if I take apart the machines

and see if there are any wires or fuses that I could save

Before we take them to the dump?"

Sam has a whole tub full of switches and wire

and fuses and what-not that he saves from all his projects.

Some people collect stamps...

This is what Samuel collects.

So I told him to "have fun" and went back to my housework.

He disappeared into the garage for about an hour.

Then, just as quietly, came back in and said...

"Mom, I think the machine will work now..."

Well, what do you say to a 10 year old

Who thinks he's fixed something?

I couldn't imagine hauling that machine

back inside to hook it up again...

But I also knew that I couldn't break his heart either...

So, my response...

"Let's see what papa says when he gets home."

When my husband arrived home,

He patiently listened as Samuel explained

what he had done to fix the machine.

Samuel told him that he combined some of the

2nd machine with my original machine.

Mind you, they weren't even the same brand!

So...after he explained what he did...

My husband said, "Let's try it!"

What a shock for us...

The machine was up and running...

And did so for about another four years.

Why was it so difficult for us to believe

That our young son could fix something so complicated?

Probably for the same reasons

That the people of Jesus' hometown of Nazareth

Had difficulty believing who He was

and what He could do.

"And all bare him witness and wondered

at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

And he said, Verily I say unto you,

No prophet is accepted in his own country."

Luke 4: 22,24

I'm certain that this must have been quite a shock

for them as well.