Two thirds of the way through the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns us that each day will have trouble, so don’t worry about tomorrow until you get through today. Last Wednesday afternoon held more than its share of trouble for me.
The day began just fine. I made it to my first stop in good time, but the two young guys who were supposed to show up to help unload the ten big windows were stuck in heavy traffic.
That wasn’t even the beginning of that day’s trouble.
The next four stops went well. I even fit in my specified half hour lunch break.
It was the second delivery after lunch when the trouble really began.
The address said it was in Harahan, Louisiana. The GPS unit would only accept that it was in New Orleans. Then it sent me past it to make me u-turn back to it.
I only deliver in that neck of the woods often enough to recognize things after I see them. When I got on Jefferson Highway I thought I knew where American Building Products was located.
It turned out to be Advanced Building Products when I got to what I remembered. The GPS told me to keep going so I did…until I realized the numbers were going the wrong way. So I spun around.
When the GPS lady said I was where I wanted to go none of the buildings agreed with her. So I drove past it and had to spin around yet again.
I turned left onto the side street near where I should be only to find four warehouse buildings lumped together with several businesses stuffed inside them. None of these buildings had the number on it that I was looking for.
My frustration was building…then my phone chirped.
I answered it only to be told there was somebody in Russia trying to use my email for something nefarious. The nice guy said he’d put a block on my email so nothing happened until I could get back to my computer. I thanked him and used my phone to figure out where in the world I needed to go to deliver two storm doors.
That guy said they’re in the building behind the other one. I’m thinking There’s four buildings here. Which one is behind which building?
So I heard myself ask, “Which way is behind?”
The guy said, “I don’t know what you call it in Texas, but here it’s the building not in front.”
I thanked him and hung up. Then I got back in the truck to drive around the only building I hadn’t driven past yet.
Then my phone chirped again. It was the manager from my apartment complex informing me my rent hadn’t been paid yet. It was now the forth of the month. She went on to say they switched something so I needed to change the info to keep my auto payments up to date.
My frustration hit a new high as I barked, “So, how much extra is this going to cost me for somebody else’s mistake?”
She said I could pay my rent without the late fees of $85 if I paid it that day.
I said I wasn’t anywhere near my computer to do it today as steam rose from under my shirt collar.
She did her best to settle me down by assuring me she’d email me a link so I could handle it with my phone.
I let out a deep breath as I hung up and drove to my delivery.
The guy who received the doors was upset when the part he most desperately needed wasn’t on my truck.
I shrugged my shoulders and left since I still had two more stops to make before I was in violation of federal law.
The next stop went off without a hitch. Then I was given a slight detour by the GPS lady before I had to tackle traffic past downtown New Orleans at five o’clock. She wasn’t kind enough to tell me which way to go on I-10 when I got back to it.
Fortunately I guessed correctly because the guy at my last stop called me wanting to know how much longer I was going to be. I told him it would be after six o’clock.
He paused before he let out a deep breath and said he’d wait for me.
There seemed to be a lot of frustration going around that day.
I stopped to buy a sandwich to eat after my delivery and before I called my dispatcher to tell him their new Electronic Logging Device we had to use as of the first of April wasn’t working properly. He told me to call the toll free number to have them figure it out.
I ate my entire sandwich while I waited on hold to get my latest frustration repaired. Meanwhile the clock was still ticking off time as I neared my legal stopping time.
I was two and a half hours from where I wanted to be but knew I’d never make it there now to be able to make it back home on Thursday.
By the time the wheels on my truck were again going round and round it appeared I could maybe make it to Hattiesburg, Mississippi legally.
Siri couldn’t find any motel in Hattiesbug to direct me to for a good night’s rest.
I pulled into a Walmart parking lot just in time to say I was off duty for the day. Then Siri found a Knights Inn two miles away from me.
In full violation of federal law I drove to the now Deluxe Inn rather than sleep on the front seat of the boxtruck I was in.
It ain’t easy being me somedays. Wednesday was one of those days.
I did make it home late Thursday. I painted a friend’s house with the Apainter Paul on Friday.
Friday evening I was going about my normal ritual after my shower of cleaning my glasses off. I bought these particular frames because they flex every direction to maintain their shape.
As I began to dry the lenses off I heard a snap.
I no longer had a pair of eyeglasses. I was now holding a pair of monocles because the piece between the lenses broke in two.
I’m currently using the glasses I bought over six years ago.
Saturday I went to the training for the Kairos prison ministry as planned. They handed out the speaking assignments for the weekend.
I get to present the topic of Friendship With God.
Suddenly all of last week’s frustrations made perfect sense. This is a vital topic for these men who feel neglected and hated by God and everyone else.
I don’t expect my life to get any easier in the days ahead. I do know each day will have its own troubles. Jesus warned me about that.
I take my days a minute at a time because the big picture of my life is too daunting to take in all the time.
Please continue to pray for me. I need all the spiritual backing I can get because this prison gig is just one area God is using me for.
I’ll see you later. Wade
