The conference was great. I always enjoy the fellowship and teaching combined. A place where I can learn with out the ugly of the world. There is so much new age junk in the birth community-of which I do not agree with. This conference has the focus on CHRIST JESUS and birth, it is a safe place to ask questions without being ridiculed, or judged in a negative way-yet a learning place that is so great !
About 3 month's before the conference-finances took a huge dive for us, (the conference part was already paid for-I just had my CEU's , membership and the cost of traveling to the conference to pay for.) The cost of gas/travel-was becoming a issue for me. I also had some auto repairs that needed to be done before the car would make it that far. Our income has been cut down about 2/3 of what we usually have coming in. Not a good thing! I was thinking, even though I was to speak, and I am a board member, I just might not make it to the conference. But if that was HIS will, so be it.
So, a few weeks before the conference I asked for prayer about this from some friends. The LORD put on the hearts of some brothers and sisters in the LORD who sent money to help with the costs. Praise to our LORD for the generosity of HIS people!
So Friday morning I began the long drive to S.C. I drove thru a few areas that I had not yet traveled in. I have been in each of these states before, but now I was traveling in parts of these states that I had not been in, was a treat. Pretty country!
Ohio was first, the lower eastern half is nice. Frustrating a bit to drive thru areas that do not have interstates though, just 'smaller' highways. That is more time consuming, even though the mileage was less!
Then came West Virginia. Wow is that a pretty state! I really liked that area! I could live there! Love the mountains!!
Then Virginia, and North Carolina. I gotta say, North Carolina does not label their roads well! Around Greensburo, one of the roads I was going to drive on, was not labeled with what the map said the road was called-which caused a problem for me-it allowed me to be heading in the wrong direction for a short time-wasted time.
About 8:30 that night after being on the road for 12 hours, I decided to stop for the night. First was supper, then I had to find a hotel. I will not pay 100 or more a night for a hotel room especially for only one person! I am cheap! After all, I do live out in the boone-docks in the middle of corn and cows. Each hotel I did stop at wanted from 100 to 150 a night. I will sleep in the car first!
I did find a motel 8 so stopped to check that out. They should be less expensive. They were reasonable, but no 'non smoking' room's left. There was one room that the check in guy said "it was a slightly smoked in room'. slightly? So maybe they put the cigarette out after only one drag? Ok. I believe that one-sure.
One good clue when I walked into the lobby was a woman with a spray bottle standing in line trying to deal with her; smelly' room, that was a red flag. But I ignored it, and should not have.
But he (the check in guy) did allow me to go check out this 'slightly smoked in room' first. It did not smell like smoke, it smelled like urine. I went back to the desk, he asked if it smelled smoky, and I said-uh, well --no, but it does smell like urine. I left.
Next door at the Red roof Inn...or something like that for a name-they would not honor their sign that said a price of 39.99 a night for a room, no instead they upped the price from their advertisement. hummm. Dont trust lier's.
So finally after driving around until about 10:15, stopping and checking out numerous hotels, prices and such, I got back on the road and went further south. Out of the 'big' town, to the 'country' and smaller towns, where I found a small hotel, no frills, no pool, no wi-fi, no cheap sugary breakfast for free-an older but clean room in a small hotel. The guy told me the price of a single room, but then quickly said "I do not have a single room left, just one with a king bed so it will be *** instead of ***" (insert the lower price amount here) and said: "is that ok?" To which I looked at him in the eye and replied firmly-"NO that is NOT ok" (and I was ready to add to the argument-'I might be the size of two persons to you, but I am really ONLY one person, and do not need to pay for two people. I might look like I have a second person hidden in my clothing here, but do you see 4 legs, 4 arms, two heads? No, you do not, and that is because I am only ONE person.') Thankfully I did not have to argue, he looked at me, and apparently decided not to argue with me, and he did give me the rate of a 'single' rate for this 'king' bed.
After checking the room well for bed bugs, and other creepy crawly things, and finding none, I settled in. I did have a fairly good night sleep, as best as you can get in a strange bed. I was up and out the door about 7 am. I had about 3 hours yet to go until reaching my destination. I decided to drive for a couple of hours, stop to eat a 'brunch' and get on the computer for a short time, then finish the last part of the drive planning on arriving about 1 pm or so. More back-roads / little highways, which was kinda nice. Trees with that moss hanging on them, long quiet roads....
When I was about 1 hour from being there, my auto 'idiot' light came on saying that the auto traction thing needed checked. I tried to shut it off, twice, but it would not go off. Then about 5 minutes later, it went off on its own. So I thought, great-should be fine. Then the power windows, radio, and stuff like that would not work-that was not good. I also had a clicking sound coming from the dash-not good at all...no-not good....Dashboards do not tick...
Then the battery light came on, I know that means the battery is running everything instead of the alternator...and the clicking sound was stronger and continued. No power at all -no lights-windows working-no clock light on-no dash things working-even the speedometer not working------I prayed, out loud-asking GOD for HIS advice..."What do YOU want me to do LORD---I need some help and advice!!!???!!!"
Then I began to beg a little...Please Please can I make it for an hour??? (I knew better-but it does not hurt to ask!)
I continued to ask HIM for HIS wisdom, and HE directed me to take the 'business' route that was coming up-I thought good! That would mean 'more businesses' so maybe I could find a mechanic.
As I was headed for that route, I passed a sign that said mechanic and it pointed to the left-down a long lane. I cried out-"LORD do I turn, do I turn around???" No, I was to keep going the way HE had said to go...
That meant going into the 'unknown' when the 'known' was right there-it means trusting-really trusting....
a mechanic-that is what was needed and I had just passed one.
Trust-I had to trust HIM that HE was guiding me. The obvious was to turn around to the 'known' location of a mechanic back there on that other road, but again, that would not be obeying HIM right now when HE had said to take this other route.
Ok, I am listening.
I turned off of the highway onto the 'business' route of the highway, and the car began to slow down. I realized it was dying, I still had the ability to turn the wheel, and control that, but it was obviously not running. I coasted to a stop-pulling slightly off the road as best as I could, coming to a stop in front of an antique business.
this is the cute little business I stopped in front of...
I put it in park, got out and waited. Well LORD, you brought me here-so now what? After standing there beside the car for a few minutes, waiting and watching everyone go around me. I walked up to the business.
Inside were two African American women, watching TV. Why is that important-their race? I will explain that later...
I spoke with them and they invited me to sit down. They offered me a soda, or water, and then offered to contact a mechanic they knew for me. Then they offered to help me move the auto off the road, but I suggested we wait for the mechanic (a man) to help us push the car. Why not?!
Well the mechanic had told them he was on the way and they told me he was just down the road. An hour later, he still had not showed up, so they called him again.
We decided we needed to move the car so went out to push the car across the road and into their driveway/parking area. Upon getting to the car, a police car pulled up and a red haired white police man got out and I watched the women turn quickly and stand off some.
Oh boy, that meant prejudice in the area-
We are so shelter in our little area where we live, I just do not see this stuff back home very often at all.
So I walked right up to the cop and began to tell him how it broke down, he was nice, asking what I thought was wrong with the car. Then I told him we were coming out to push it off the road, and the one woman spoke up and said they had called a mechanic for me.
So we all began to push the car across the road, and I was beside the open door-steering wheel- when I heard the police man say-you can get in it now-then the car hit the hill and began rolling down the hill, faster and faster as I -a rather large woman- ran beside it trying to catch up with it enough to jump in and push on the brake.
Where was that young healthy male cop???
Running behind the car-!!
Why did no one get this on video?
I might enter it into the funniest home videos and win! Headline: Over weight older women chases car, catches it and 'wins!'
As the car was picking up speed and headed straight towards this brick wall- I had a brief thought of 'do I let it hit the brick/cement wall or try to jump in and stop it with a bad knee?'
I jumped in, got my right foot caught in the left pant leg, but just two feet (barely) from the wall, I was able to stop the car. Whew! Thank you LORD!!
My adrenalin was pumping so much, that my sugar immediately dropped to a low-low level.Oh yes, I had not had a breakfast yet! That did not help!
Well the women and I went back into the building, they continued to watch TV, I sat and waited ate my yogurt I had in the cooler, told them if I fell over to just place some sugar in my mouth. They looked a bit worried, but I re-assured them I was ok, really, unless I begin sweating again, and go down...
Waiting on this mechanic was reminding me of how the Lakota view time----they don't...
They called the mechanic again, again he told them he was right down the road and was on the way. Maybe he was Amish. :) Buggies are slower!
Meanwhile we had a gentleman (African American male) that showed up and talked to these two women. What a real blessing it was for me to sit back and listen to this whole conversation! Between the southern accents and my hard of hearing, it was a bit hard for me to follow at times, but oh so interesting. Here I was right into the middle of a culture that I have never had the privileged of being around. And southern too! I was loving it all. I could sit for hours and just listen! (as slow as the mechanic was at getting there it might be hours more yet!)
This older gentleman spoke a long time about the south, and different things. The women listened and responded now and then, but was also watching their movie on the TV. The TV was older, the fan running- and old metal one, and old building-full of older items..... trinkets ans treasures from another time...
Soon another older gentleman came in, who was related to the two women. He spoke about 'family' things, and then spoke kindly to me. I was almost wishing now that I could spend some time here for the week. How interesting it would be for me!
They were interested in my profession-as a midwife. That seemed fascinating. It always does actually to most people. I wondered if the women here were experimented on as the Lakota women often were in childbirth. It is so sad to see other races 'used' in the medical community-often because of their lack of knowledge, and the fact that the women are often afraid to say no to a doctor or other authoritative figure.
Well the mechanic -Tim, and his friend-Chris- finally showed up.
Tim took off the alternator --it took him about 6 minutes to do this---and we got into an old pick up truck, with his friend Chris driving. The two women assured me they would treat me well, not to worry "I was safe". I was not worried, but maybe I had a worried expression on my face so that is why they said that?
So they drove me and the part into the auto store where they tested the alternator, yes it was bad. It failed every test. I purchased a new one. By me going in I was able to use my debit card. $210.00 for the part (cheap some will say) .
But now to have enough to pay the mechanic. I had only $50.00 cash. I did not tell him that, but before we left town asked him for a price of what I owe him, because if I had to get to an ATM ----
He thought for about 6 minutes, and finally said. $50.00 (everything all of a sudden seemed to be taking 6 minutes here in the south)
That was cheap in comparison to others that would charge that or more an hour, and then extra for 'off hours' and 'weekend' plus 'emergency fees'. The LORD knew-
Now LORD you will have to bring the money in to get home, as there went my gas money to get home....
HE did, at the conference, I sold enough craft's I had made, bags, soap and such, to pay for the gas to go home. (not enough to replace all I spent on the part and to Tim, but enough to get gas to go home)
Sometimes HE calls us to go into the unknown, when the 'known' is so very obvious and right in front of us, it really is a choice to fully trust HIM and HIS ways and direction. It is never easy to walk when you do not see the end, or how it will go, we as humans want to 'know' every detail, and yet-HE does not always give that. But HE does expect us to trust HIM and obey HIM...
Do you listen to HIM in everything???
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