I was in a familiar tyre shop in Abu Dhabi’s industrial area. I have seen the number of new tyres in this shop fluctuate. At times, there are tyres in the loft, and a dozen service bays are available. Yesterday, it was the opposite. Only four bays were filled with cars. The rest of the bays were filled with tyres. Up, down, and everywhere one looked, all you could see were new tyres! Cars were serviced in the limited availability bays and, in my case and others, in the narrow car-width space between the tyres.
As I waited in the shaded heat of the garage, the endless tyres morphed into a metaphor-based review of the endless things in my life. I know that the unending pain and darkness I have experienced will end, often far earlier than I imagined. I also know that several endless realities serve to guide me as I approach the moment I am in.
Divinity, in all her forms, is always present. I may not be able to see her, yet she is here. I often find myself numb, unable to feel, and still, she is here. My certainty comes through the awareness of the presence of love, kindness, and care in every moment. It may be difficult to be certain, yet I see traces of her touch, especially in hindsight. This presence, “It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God.” (Hebrews 6.19)
The edge between darkness and light, despair and hope, is razor thin. The small cut, invisible to the eye, in my tyre was an open door into frustration and annoyance. Looking at the tyres stacked and waiting to solve the problem was a window to hope. My emotions pivoted because of my awareness and understanding of what could happen. The past drove my despair, and my awareness of hope shaped the future.
Actions take one from nothingness into the possibility of a better future. Looking at the tyres, I could see available resources and relationships. What happens next is on me.
