Steve's Friendly BP

Oh God, you are incredible with how you take care of me.

I drove to the gas station thinking once again of the pathetic estate of my bank accounts (checking and savings) and how I do not feel as much panic as in the past and maybe I'm finally learning to trust God completely with it. He's taken care of me every step of the way through this Greensboro business and grown me so much along the way. I get out of the car to put my ten dollars in the tank. My first mistake lies in my accidentally grabbing the silver gas to fill up my car, which I notice before pumping any into the tank. After successfully filling it with the green I realize my second mistake. My car is locked, and my keys are lying on the passenger seat. At the moment I am having trouble recalling even getting out of the car.

I have a cold, and my head is not spinning very quickly right now.

I think I stand there for a moment and walk into the "office" of this BP station. An older women calls out a friendly, "Hello, how are you?" I respond with at half-hearted, "Hi." Then walk to the counter, where I can make eye contact past the lottery display, "I just locked my keys in the car." The response was an immediate sympathetic, "Oh."

Without going in to too great a detail, she and her husband, who apparently owned and ran the business, determined that they could not get my car open without damaging the lock system more than I wanted to pay for. They asked if I had a spare key, which I do at the apartment, the keys to which where on my key ring, on the passenger seat. My roommate has keys, but she was at school and my cell phone, with her number on it, was also locked in the car. They told me to come in and think about it, then I recalled that my dad had Meg's number in his phone, and I have all of his numbers memorized. So they let me use the phone to call him. He gave me Meg's number, but thought he had better call him, so I don't use more of the very nice people's long distance. While I sat and waited for Meg or my Dad to call back. I engaged in a little small talk with the lady running the register. I learned that this is a family run establishment, a gas station and repair shop. I learned that she was referred to as "Momma" by her husband who ran it, and she asked one of the younger generation of workers to go ask his brother if he had any fives. I also learned that I can get my car inspected and my oil changed there, for prices very similar to my beloved Napa Auto Parts store in Andrews, run by the dear Mr. Hicks.

As I sat there looking, I'm sure, extremely pathetic, what with the sniffing and coughing, I spoke to various workers about why I was sitting there. One man in particular, a forty something with a gotee, told me to look on the bright side, that my weekend could only get better. After less than ten minutes of waiting that very same man became the agent of change that made it so. He came walking in with a smile and held up my keys, "These what you looking for?" Turns out that he had "gone to his buddy's place" who had a kit, and got my door opened while I sat in the office. Needless to say, I was very very thankful, and expressed it as best I could. They told me not to worry about it, and gotee man said simply, "just come back next time you need gas." I assured him I would come back next time I needed anything for my car and drove away, calling off my dad and Meg.

Let me tell you, through this thing I sat praying that Meg would be able to answer the phone. I just (30 seconds ago) got a text from her saying she was in class and didn't get any of the messages. Even while I sat there, I did not feel more than an inkling of panic, because I knew that God knew that I literally did not have the money to pay a locksmith, so I was trusting Him, to figure out a way. And he did. Needless to say I am now a loyal customer of Steve's Friendly BP (oil spill or not) because those people deserve my business, as scant as  it may be.

"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other. Our God is healer, awesome in power, Our God, Our God....and if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if Our God is with us, then what could stand against? Into the darkness You shine, out of the ashes we rise."