Allow me to begin by saying that things are much, much better this week. Not only has my son been much better behaved... well... today but I am learning to find my peace & rest in the only One that can give it. So, Malakai isn't perfect. Mama isn't perfect. But we're walking this thing together & as I seek the Lord for wisdom and peace, I find answers & regardless of my son's behavior- I can find rest :)
I have a bit of a testimony of God's goodness :)
As I mentioned in my last whinefest blog post, we took a little road trip to Kentucky. This installment is all about God's faithfulness & protection for His children.
Let's begin with my gracious friend, Lynz.
This girl offered to spend $$$ out of her own pocket & leave her precious babies (aka- her doggies) to fly in from KY- after working all day- just to turn around the next early a.m. to make the drive right back where she came from. Some might call her insane, crazy, a loon maybe? She would undoubtably agree with all of those descriptions and is the reason I'm pretty sure she doesn't regret her decision to come.
Take off was at like 7p and she was supposed to arrive in Baltimore around 11p. Unfortunately, her flight out of ATL was grounded in (I think) North Carolina and sat there until the wee hours due to, as the airlines call it, an Act of God... i.e. crazy, windy storms. Thank the Lord that before any of this happened, my sister who lives only a few minutes from the BWI airport had offered to pick her up & bring her to my house (which is a little over an hour from BWI) in order that I might get plenty of sleep, save us some gas & allow my sis some time w/ her niblings. The plan originally was for her to be at my house & we would leave around 5a the next morning. Needless to say, she didn't make it to my house at all but it all worked out and I just picked her up on the way from my sister's home. Provision #1... actually there's all kinds of wonderful workings through out this whole part of the story but we'll just consider it #1! Yay for sleep and YAY GOD!
So begins our, we'll say, what should be about a 10-12 hour road trip.
Everything is pretty chill for the most part... kids were behaving (or sleeping) and everything seemed great. We were making really good time and managed to make it to our 1/2 way point without stopping. This is especially impressive with a 3 year old's bladder along for the ride.
When we reached Clarksburg, WV I mistakingly got off an exit early and as I came to the stop sign noticed a fuel smell. I took note of it but I mean really, we've been on the interstate with semi-trucks and vehicles all around, it really wasn't very alarming. We head on down to the next exit and as I get off the interstate for the 2nd time, I noticed the odor again. I asked Lynz if she noticed it (as she was sitting with the kids in the back at this point to entertain until we could get some lunch), she said it was pretty strong back there & had been smelling it for a while. I did what any smart woman with a mechanic for a husband does, called him. He wasn't super alarmed but told me to check and see if anything was leaking when I get out for lunch. Easy enough. This would also be the perfect opportunity to check the oil that I had forgotten to check before leaving my sister's house.
Just as we were literally pulling into the parking lot of Chicken Play (i.e. chic fil a), Ava, who is in the very back, literally empties her stomach of all the berries she had just ingested. I'm pretty sure mom's are not supposed to be grossed out by this stuff by seriously, EW. I must say, Malakai's 1st car sick vomit tops it by far but regardless, there is nothing like looking back to see a fountain of stomach contents pouring from your child's mouth. (Lynz graciously, and let me note here, she is NOT a mom, cleaned up the mess so that I could explore the vehicle issues)
*I will now excuse you to go to the bathroom to empty your stomach*
Welcome back... :) Now on the the original issue before Ava so rudely interrupted... ;)
1st things 1st, it only took a peak to figure out there was DEFINITELY something leaking and it wasn't condensation. It was steady dripping. I then backed the van up so I could try to figure out what the dripping fluid was... my description at the time was, "it smells like fuel but looks like oil." I pulled back into the spot & check the oil- it wasn't empty but it was really low. My gut was that it wasn't oil leaking but really, what do I know? Yeah, pretty much NOTHIN. I called Michael back, feeling a bit anxious at this point with the possibility of a fuel leak- I mean I have 3 little ones in this van- YIKES! When I finally get a hold of him, we determine it most likely is a fuel leak.
I know, I know. This doesn't seem like much of a testimony, right? We're getting there... :) The story is no good if I just skip to the end... gotta give him allll the glory He deserves :)
We start discussing the best options for what to do considering we are- minimum- 5 hours from either of our homes. Michael considers trying to find a way to Clarksburg while Lynz runs out to the parking lot to "ask the guy that looks like he might know of a good mechanic" where we could possibly take our van at lunch time on Saturday. Two separate people offer up the name of the same shop so we feel confident enough to give them a call. The shop is very close by and both Michael and the mechanic I spoke with seemed sure that we'd be safe to drive it over.
At this point, I am nearly sick to my stomach thinking about loading my kids up in this fuel leaking vehicle but feeling left with no other choice. So, we finish lunch and make our way over to the shop. At this point my digital thing in the van says something like 8 miles to empty. Seriously though, this was the least of my worries. I am in knots over this fuel leak & my little passengers. I am not kidding you, the gut feeling was so awful. Literally, all I could do was pray in my heart of hearts for protection. I was praying in the spirit and trying to trust the Lord.
Obviously, we made over there in one piece. Within just a few minutes of putting the van on the lift, the mechanic returns the following exchange occurs:
Mech. "You were driving on borrowed time."
Me: "What do you mean? What is wrong with it?"
Mech. "Literally, if you refused to let us do the work, I wouldn't let you drive out of here in this vehicle."
Me: "Okay, so what's the deal?"
Mech. "You have a fuel leak and it was dripping down right over the exhaust which has a hole in it. You are very lucky."
WHOA! Not what a mama wants to hear. I was shocked but the weight of it didn't really hit me until later when I was thinking back on it. So let's just call this little happening, YAY, God #2.
The leak was fixed within an hour & bonus, we also got the oil changed :) All was well but we were still super low on fuel. Unfortunately, the shop was not also a gas station so off we went back across the road to find some gasoline.
The first place we came to had a parking lot that was so full of cars & so messy, we didn't even attempt to pull in. We continued on down the road hoping to get there before I ran completely out of gas... that little digital reminder was now on ZERO. Finally, we see a sign but quickly realize their parking lot is just as full... there was literally the sweetest gas station attendant attempting to direct traffic in & out of this place. It was an absolute mad house! I am saying, Please Lord, don't let us run out of gas. It is so hot that no ac + 3 children will = disaster.
Lynz jumps out of the van to ask the attendant if she will get us into the lot hastily as we are about to run out & have 3 babies in the car. She graciously gets us in line. We pretty much sat in that parking lot for an hour. Here's the good part... Not once did I turn the van off. Not once did I turn down the ac. And let me tell you, we didn't sit there with it reading zero. Nope. The van didn't die. And the number actually went up. Yes, UP. To FOUR. I wish I had thought to take a pic of that... for proof. But I'm not lying. I promise. We ended up getting premium gas because by the time we got to the pump they were out of everything else. Turns out, due to the previously mentioned storms, this was the only exit within 200 mi with electic/fuel. By the time we left, the line was at least 3 hours long. It was crazy.
A cool side-note, we didn't need any fuel again for the remainder of the trip and I had just under 1/2 a tank when I got to Lexington. Usually if we don't fill up again, the tank is pretty much on E.
Time and again, I am beginning to recognize the Lord working in, through & around me. I can't deny his power because I've seen it at work. He IS my provider. He DOES love me. Like crazy loves me. He protects and he cares. And as special as these things are to my heart, He can do SO much more.
May I encourage you to have faith. Trust Him.
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Can I get an AMEN?!
