Mixed Blessing: The Farm Truck

My old farm truck isn't much to look at. In fact it is downright embarrassing to drive off the property! The paint is peeling, the tailgate won't shut, the glove box won't shut, the rear view mirror is bolted on to the window, the front window is cracked, the headliner has fallen off, and the driver's side door won't open so you have to roll down the window and stick out your arm to open it from the outside (fun in the rain)! With all this, it still passes yearly inspections!

One day I was driving to a dealership to look at a small car to replace the family Suburban. This particular dealership was reached either directly from the service road of a busy interstate, or indirectly through country back roads. I chose the latter. I had been driving for about 20 minutes when suddenly I felt ant stings on my feet and legs. I looked down to see fire ants swarming from somewhere into the floorboard of the truck. I lifted my legs and found somewhere to stop. I exited in tears of frustration at this situation and blamed it on the old truck! I was in the middle of nowhere and had to figure out how to get home with a truck full of fire ants!

I shook the mat and got rid of as many as I could and got back in holding my feet up off the floor as much as possible. I mumbled to God to help me get home without being bitten more or wrecking the truck. I had driven less than a mile when I came across a newly opened CVS Pharmacy! It was built in preparation for a building boom in the area, but was sitting alone on the side of a main road! I was shocked that help was provided in such an unexpected way.

I went in the store and purchased bug spray, returned to the truck and sprayed the floorboards down and stood aside waiting for the smell to diminish. While I stood there I was overwhelmed with the idea of being provided an unexpected solution to an unanticipated problem. I knew that God had used this situation to once again show his presence in a concrete way. The truck had been a "vehicle" of blessing!

There were many other blessings associated with the old truck. It was the vehicle I used to learn to drive a standard which was one of my bucket list items! It has also been used to haul stuff, move family members, pick up feed and so on.

The ant adventure has stuck with me, though. It provided God an opportunity to meet my needs in an unusual way that could not be missed! I knew he heard my prayers!

Psalm 121: I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Long Absence - Bridging the Gap

It seems my last story was two years ago. I haven't disappeared, just gone into writing seclusion. I've struggled at how to go ahead with my stories until I have properly shared the events of these two years. How can I just relate my mundane thoughts as though nothing has happened? And yet a public display of emotion is a hard, but necessary step for me to continue as a writer.

Mark, my husband of 22 years passed away in late 2017 after a short, but intense fight with cancer. The few months leading up to his death were filled with worry, little sleep, constant vigilance and ended in total silence. I found myself in a new place I was not prepared to be. My life was upside down. I had wonderful support from God, family and friends but struggled in my head and heart!

My time was initially filled with the myriad of plans and details one has to deal with in this situation. Support swarmed around me to keep me from falling and help me muddle through. At some point, though, I have had to learn to navigate this new reality and stand on my own two feet. It has helped that I am an independent person and have lots of life skills! My job is also quite distracting in a good way. Downtime has been the hardest.

I still find a lot of humor and irony in life, something I shared with Mark who sharpened my wit over the years! I will take that forward and continue to share my stories. Thank you for caring enough to continue to read them!

Blessings!

Surprise pink bluebonnet because
stories are better with a picture!