Last week was a bit of a roller coaster ride for this truck driver turned writer.
My writer side received the high point award while I delivered mattresses in Longview, Texas on Wednesday.
Discount Mattress quickly became one of my favorite stops before this past week. It’s a family run operation…a mother-in-law daughter-in-law arrangement mostly.
About a month ago I walked in the store to announce my presence when Mary, the daughter-in-law, was finishing a phone call. I always help her put her mattresses away so she says I’m her favorite driver.
A radio was playing in the background as she stood. “Let’s see…I have my Jesus music on. My mattresses are here. Everything’s good.”
I didn’t say anything as we unloaded her delivery. The next time I showed up I gave her mother-in-law a copy of my 100 Prayers of a Writer book. I actually signed it to both of them, but Mary was out of the store when I arrived.
When I arrived last Wednesday Momma Laura, the mother-in-law, looked a bit concerned when she told me what happened to the book I gave them.
They left in on the desk with other books they read while the store is empty. Well, this one lady was in the process of buying a bed when she noticed the book. She picked it up, randomly opened to a prayer and read it.
With tears in her eyes she insisted she just had to take that book home. The prayer she read was on the topic of forgiveness. It spoke to her because she’s dealing with that right now in her life.
Instead of being mad that they gave my gift to them away I was ecstatic that God used words that I wrote to touch someone so deeply. I told Laura I’ll just have to bring them another copy. That’s all.
Don’t tell the dynamic duo, but I have seven copies ready to give them Monday when I show up for their next delivery. They make great ministry partners.
The low point came on Friday. It was a one two punch at that.
When I left home on Monday morning I thought I was pretty much over the cold I suffered through awhile back. Well, it bounced back with a vengeance last week. Gravity pulled it down from my nose to my chest.
I bought some cough syrup to help me cope but it wasn’t enough. I went to sleep around 7:30 Thursday evening. My alarm woke me up at 6:00 Friday morning. I felt like I slept on the interstate instead of near it.
Fortunately I didn’t have to be at my last stop for the week at a specific time. I staggered around my truck getting dressed, went into the truckstop to use the restroom then came back and laid back on the bed fully dressed. I woke up an hour later a bit more human than when I laid down.
Somehow I just knew I was in for some sort of accident when I had to attend, not one, but two safety meetings last Saturday.
I drove the 100 miles to my last stop in Uvalde, Texas. All I had to do was safely make that last left hand turn and everything would have been golden. I don’t know why I didn’t check my left side mirror until after I made contact with the Jeep that was stopped for the red light at the next intersection.
I pulled up and stopped the half block away at my destination after the traffic light gave everyone waiting the go ahead and the Jeep drove forward. I walked back to the scene of the accident to take pictures of the damage the back tire of my trailer caused on the back corner of her car.
From out of nowhere three police cars showed up with lights and sirens blaring. Then, an ambulance did likewise. I guess an eighteen wheeler versus car event is a rarity in that part of the world. In Dallas if both vehicles are able to drive away they don’t even send one officer out.
If I didn’t know Don Knotts was dead I would have expected him to walk out of one of the cars and shoot himself in the foot trying to get his gun out of its holster.
One of the officers was apparently very new to the job because another cop was walking him carefully through every step of the process. The end result was him writing me a ticket. His name is pronounced “Hay-zues.”
Yeah, to rub salt into my wound Jesus gave me a traffic ticket.
My first thought was, “where’s the Jesus of grace when I need him?”
Instead I got the God of justice. Fortunately, I read the complete printout that made up the ticket. Texas has a way you can keep minor accidents off your record. I don’t know what the formal name of it is but I call it the mercy law.
I can make arrangements with the court to take a refresher driving course to get this event dismissed from my driving record. One more reason I love Texas. I’ll let y’all know how this all plays out.
Does anybody out there want to trade their boring, predictable life with mine yet?
PLEASE!!!
I arrived home Friday evening and went straight to bed after a hot shower. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in good enough shape on Saturday morning to venture out to the first team meeting for the next Kairos Prison Ministry weekend.
I know. I’m just setting myself up for these kinds of weeks in my life. As long as God keeps using me to build His kingdom I’ll just keep bracing for the next roller coaster ride.
I’ll see you later. Wade
