Talk to Him 24/7

It started out as a wonderful Sunday - a beautiful worship service, a short church meeting and we were ready to go!
We had packed the car yesterday and were traveling with lamps and tables to Minocque, Wisconsin. Marty's Grandpa built a cabin there in 1939. I was privileged to enjoy a few trips to visit there since dating him, and this would be our first trip to spend time there with the just the two of us. A beautiful February Sunday for a drive - chilly, but beautiful! We should arrive around dinner time.

After driving 2 hours, we stopped for a nice lunch. With a Hallmark Store next to the Buffet Restaurant, I was able to purchase little Valentines for grandchildren and we began the next leg of the trip with love in the air :)

When the car started shaking, we thought it was the pavement. The steering wheel would shake a little and then stop shaking - shake and stop. Soon, we heard noises and he noticed the brakes and steering became unusual. Two warning lights began flashing and Marty asked me to look in the manual for their meaning. All I could find at first was the shape of their signal and the word "Danger"! He slowed down, put on our flashers and looked for an exit. Thanking God for smart phones, I looked at a map to assist him with a near exit. We were in a part of Wisconsin with very few. We drove for about 15 minutes with a feeling that the axle would drop off of the car any second - and thoughts of this automobile with us in it, tumbling down the snow covered side of the road ravaged my mind.

Marty found the exit with a BP I had found on my phone - and we clunked to a stop. I had called the girl at the station beforehand and she mentioned that there were neither taxi's or rental cars in her town. She would look around to see if anyone could help us on a Sunday. A lot more calls - finding most rental car agencies closed for the day - and the nearest one was 70 miles away. God intervened and we called one at a small airport - CWA - and they were open until 9 that evening - and would have a car ready for us - if we could get there. We searched for taxi's near the airport - found a taxi/limo service willing to drive 1 1/4 hours to pick us up! Whew!

We walked in the BP and the girl gave us a number of a towing service - that was 24 hours a day and in town! Woo-hoo!
Tom arrived to tow our vehicle - we found more information in the manual and he affirmed the problem - wheel bearings - and we sat and heard all about his life until the limo arrived.

They said it was a Lincoln and warned us that this would be a very costly ride. "We have no other choice" Marty replied. The dispatcher was excited! When the driver arrived, his car did look like it was once a Lincoln, but had suffered from either living near a golf course or getting hit by hail. Dick introduced himself - a retired driver - and his frail frame tried to move our luggage for us into his car, but we took over. We left the tables and lamps in the broken car and settled into the back seat for a 70 mile car ride.

I first noticed the car temperature - 80 degrees - and was grateful as it was very cold and I waited to warm up. Then I noticed the bright light "oil change now" calling out for attention to the engine. Once I warmed up - I really warmed up and waited for Dick to turn down the temperature in the car - to no avail. I started to try small talk about Dick's life when I noticed the car moving kind of dreamy-like toward the side of the road - and my thoughts scrambled - would he fall asleep driving?

A few more attempts at small talk and I realized he did not hear me very well. Then, Marty asked me to wait for conversation so Dick could concentrate on his driving - concentrate?? This car was the perfect temperature for putting anyone to sleep - concentrate? But, I worked hard at remaining quiet - and it was work - I succeeded except for an occasional crushing of my empty water bottle to see if Dick would flitch up front. I started praying for him and for all three of us to get to the airport. It was a long car ride.

We arrived, placed our things in the rental car and I jumped in - glad to have Marty behind the wheel - and all of a sudden it hit - the coldest car seat and car temperature I had ever experienced. Truly I must have just jumped onto a block of ice - and I pictured Eskimos living in igloos without fur. Marty started talking about how cold the car was - and I did not answer for at least three blocks. I did not want to lose any of my heat through my mouth.

Finally, I answered him and we laughed - it was the longest he had ever "not heard" me.

I learned to trust and talk to God more and talk to people less - talk to God while a car is shaking, while making phone calls for help, while others are driving a vehicle I am in, and while freezing.

So, I decided - why not just talk to Him 24/7?
God bless your communication with Him :)