accidents – B…simply being…

“Our God is sovereign. That means there’s no such thing as luck. Anything that happens to you, good or bad, must pass through His fingers first. There are no accidents with God. I like the story of the cowboy who applied for health insurance. The agent routinely asked him, ‘Have you ever had any accidents?’ The cowboy replied, ‘Well no, I’ve not had any accidents. I was bitten by a rattlesnake once, and a horse did kick me in the ribs. That laid me up for a while, but I haven’t had any accidents.’ The agent said, ‘Wait a minute. I’m confused. A rattlesnake bit you, and a horse kicked you, Weren’t those accidents?’ ‘No, they did that on purpose.”

― Tony Evans, Our God is Awesome: Encountering the Greatness of Our God

Oh, the stories I have to share, my friends.

Nearly two weeks ago, Michael and I headed out with the dogs to visit friends in Colorado. The RV was packed to the brim–we were all ready for a few days away from the heat of Texas.

Just outside of Lubbock we blew a tire on the RV. Shreds of our tire joined the many other shards already littering the side of the road.

I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to blow a tire–now I know–lesson learned.

All-in-all, things went well. The blown tire was on the curb side of the RV, meaning Michael was not right next to the highway as he struggled to assess damage and change the tire. Our three dogs handled it well, moving as asked to the front seat of the truck when Michael needed to get under the seat they were secured to in order to access the heavy-duty jack. The spare tire was in excellent shape, the jack worked, and every vehicle passing us never seriously compromised our safety.

As with any scary situation, it feels better if you walk away feeling you learned something from that experience.

Here’s what I learned from this segment of our trip.

Before hitting the road, make sure everyone knows where your emergency equipment is located. If it’s not easily accessible, move it so it is.
Review how to put things like jacks together before hand so repairs go faster.
Pack water and snacks for all–be sure to include something your dogs can use as a water bowl.
Have alternate RV spots to spend the night in case you are delayed.
Lastly, and most importantly, never ever text and drive. As I stood watching for anyone not paying attention in the steady line of traffic coming our way at speeds around 75-80 mph, I prayed each and every driver was paying attention. Stay alert, giving those working on the side of the road all the space you can as you pass.

Thank God for cell phones and internet. By doing a quick search, we were able to get to Discount Tire in Lubbock before they closed. Even though they were busy, in a matter of hours, they had four new tires in place and we were back on the road.

As I sat and waited in Lubbock, I thanked God no one was injured. I thanked God our GMC truck kept the trailer in control and the damage to the trailer minimal. We’re fortunate Michael and I have been traveling together by RV for many years. We’ve learned each others strong points and work well together getting whatever needs to be done. I’m not saying it’s always pretty–but we get ‘er done!

What surprised me the most was how our dogs settled in and acted as if this was just another day. They sat quietly beside me, watching people and cars come and go as I tried to pre-determine what person went with what car. I learned I am not good at that game but it certainly entertained me! Even Mother Nature stepped up her game–the dark rain clouds building all around us held off until we were well down the road.

“Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. It means learning to live your life as if everything were a miracle, and being aware on a continuous basis of how much you’ve been given.” ~ Marelisa Fábrega

I am…

B…simply being…

God bless.

~Peace~

I’ve had some extra time this week to think about things. What that usually means is I take long walks into my past. This week was no exception. There are some things back there that have always puzzled me. I found some unusual help this time though, from “The Royals.”

I have been running from myself for most of my life. When Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, began talking about their mother, Diana, a switch turned on for me. I found, and continue to find, great comfort in their words when they talk about the struggles they have had in their lives after her death. Whenever Prince Harry speaks, his words give me chills. It appears we had and have some of the same challenges. By speaking out he gave me a very valuable gift–he opened the door for me to speak of my own challenges. I am grateful for that.

I grew up in a little town in northeast Iowa. My family was not from there originally, a fact that I think was hard for my mom. Looking back on life’s events as an older adult gives me such a different perspective of things. My mom had been a single working woman, living at home with her parents, until she was 27 years old. She thought she was an old maid. She often told me how she met my dad at a dance. She said she knew when she met him he was special but did not think he was ever going to ask her to marry him. Looking back, that is the only story she ever shared with me about her days as a single woman. Of course, I was so young I would not have understood much more than that. She never had a chance to share more–she was dead by the time I was ten, my younger sister eight, and my youngest sister, six. That, my friends, is the tip of the iceberg.

I only have a kid’s memory of so many things. Our small community had its share of tragedies during this time. The most significant one I remember is that a classmate of mine’s mother died after being in a car accident. I think we were in second grade so we were probably seven years old. I had to be at school early that morning–I was in trouble for having a messy desk and was supposed to come in and clean it out. When I got to my room, my teacher was not there so I went looking for her. I found everyone in the room next door all standing in the front of the class room. They were talking softly about a car accident. One teacher said that the doctors did not think that my friend’s mom was hurt very badly. They were wrong, she said. My classmates mom had died earlier that morning from a head injury that had not been detected. Lots more whispers.

I stood there thinking, how can that be? Moms don’t die.

In my mind, I see exactly where I was standing that day–how the soft morning sunlight came through the windows, illuminating the desktops, reflecting off chalk dust that was always flying through the air. The huddle of teachers remained close together in the front of the room. I remained invisible. Yes, they said, she had been hit from behind. You know, they said, it’s that bad spot out on the highway where so many other accidents had happened. Well, it’s been icy, they said, so she had a cement block in the back of her car for traction. When she was hit, they said, it flew and hit her head…

No one noticed as I turned and quietly walked out of the room. Oh, so many questions I carried out with me that day.

I wonder if my friend, my classmate from so many years ago, has any of the same questions I do? Does Prince Harry comfort her as he speaks of his demons? Do my other friends who also lost their moms when they were young feel the way I do–like you’ve always been a little lost? Always searching for something…

The month of May has always has been a time when I question so many things. I’ve sidestepped them for many, many years. Now it is time calm my demons by writing about them. If Prince Harry helped me, maybe I can help someone else?

This part of my life made me, me.

I am

B…simply being…

Wishing you all love and peace.

Tag: accidents

Mis-Adventure

Musings

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