Let me explain. I knew I'd be doing some sort of sitting today, since that's what I've set out to do this month. What I did not expect was to find myself sitting in a Burger King off of SR-500 at 4:00 p.m. helping a distraught Miss Kate finish off her chocolate sundae.
It started on our way home from piano lessons. That strange clunking sound. I put two and two together and figured it was most likely indicative of trouble. Though my knowledge of cars is definitely limited, I do know that they're not supposed to emit steam and make strange clunking sounds.
It was at this moment that I began to pray. I also suggested that the children do likewise. I do not do well under pressure. Thankfully, we made it to the end of the exit before the van came to a very determined halt. It was done.
The poor children were convinced that the van was about to explode. I told everyone to get out. Perhaps I was a tad dramatic. Weeping ensued. A kind gentleman was immediately at our side. He helped me push the van toward the curb and made sure the children were safe. I turned on the hazard lights (hooray for at least some presence of mind), and we walked toward the nearest business. Burger King.
Drew was the man of the hour. His presence of mind was admirable. He whipped out his iPod and sent Jamie an SOS. I assured the children that it was only a matter of time before Daddy arrived. In the mean time, why not have a sundae?
There we sat, waiting for Daddy. I thought the sundaes would be a pleasant diversion, but the younger children were still quite distraught. So I decided to try and shift our focus a bit.
Hadn't the Lord been good to us? Just think! It could have been dark and cold and rainy. But it was a pleasant afternoon. We didn't even need our coats! We weren't stranded on a freeway or stuck in traffic. We had sailed right on down that exit and just kind of stopped. If you have to stop, that's the way to do it. And a kind man was right there to help us!
The mood began to turn around as we looked at the blessings. Funny how that works.
And then Daddy walked in. Boy, did he look good. He had been at a job only a few minutes away. Another blessing. The children jumped into his arms, each one eager to tell his version of the story.
We finally got ourselves and our vehicles safely home. The littlest ones were still a bit shaken up. In those moments of fear, we reminded each other of God's goodness. We focused on the blessings.
* * * * * * * *
Tonight I slipped into bed beside a drowsy yet anxious Miss Kate. "Mommy?" she whispered. "Can you pray?"
Yes, and yes, I can, my dear, sweet child. In fact it's the very best thing I can do.
We prayed, we praised, we rested. She drifted off in thanksgiving. And I plan to do the same. Won't you?
No comments:
Post a Comment