Recently I had something go wrong with the shifting column in my truck. I had a mechanic look at it and we discussed trying to find a complete steering column at a junk yard to save the money it would take to purchase a new one.

That evening I had some passing thoughts about needing a new truck if this one was going to start giving me trouble. I thought I might get the mechanic to start looking for a steering column.

If he found one, I could get it put in, fix a few other things, and maybe sell my truck and get another one. The next day I went to start my truck and couldn’t get it started.

I had to put excessive upward force on the shifter until I could get the starter to engage so I decided to drive straight to the repair facility while I had it running.

I caught a ride home and got a car to drive not knowing how long it would take to find the necessary parts to repair my truck. I had been at my office for only an hour or so when the phone rang and it was the mechanic telling me my truck was ready. I almost fell out of my chair. How could it be fixed so fast? I found out the steering column was fine and the only problem was that two bolts had worked loose. How fortunate can one be?

After that phone call, I sat in my office wondering how many times, in my life, I had expected the worst and it never happened. How many times have you thought that the worse was inevitable and it never came to pass?

It is said that 80 percent of the things we worry about never happen, so why is our first thought usually the worst case scenario? Could we change our thought process to think of the best instead of the worse? How many relationships have we failed to build because we only saw the worst in someone? What if we were 80 percent wrong about that person? (Oh, by the way, I think I will keep this truck for now.)

These and other life questions will be addressed Sunday morning as “The Gathering Place Family” meets in the Washington High School Gymnasium at 10 a.m. for our Pre-Service Connection where we enjoy coffee, juice and donuts. Our Worship Service and Children’s Church then begins at 10:30. Come at 7 p.m. and be part of our Wednesday night Bible Study and Children’s Ministry on the third floor above Trends at 120 West Court St. in Washington C.H.