Predicament #4 & Predicament #3 Update
Well, the Predicaments are coming in fast and furious! I don’t think that the timing is any different than normal. I think it’s probably that we just don’t have any men here to depend upon to diagnose and then fix our mechanical problems.
I had to go to town today to pick up Predicament #2 from the vet. I also had to go to the laundrymat because of Predicament #3. So, we killed 2 Predicaments with one trip of gas.
Getting out of here and getting to town took more doing and time than I’d planned on so we were much later than I’d thought we’d be. When I got out to Predicament #1 (the F-350 Truck) I discovered that I couldn’t open the driver’s side door.
“Why?” you ask? Don’t feel bad. I asked the same question!
Well, it went something like this: Child #1 decides its his/her job to start Predicament #1 (the F-350 truck) in preparation for said trip to town. Child #2 disagrees and decides it’s his/her job to stop Child #1. And, of course, Child #3 thinks that he/she just MUST get involved in this excitement.
The result is that automatic door lock buttons start getting pushed up and down and all around trying to keep children in or out of the truck….until the driver’s side door lock gets jammed.
Enter Mom into the picture at the outside of the door unable to get into Predicament #1 (F-350 truck) asking “Why?” Child #1 is on the inside of the door knowing that he/she is busted. Child #1 decides to try pushing REALLY hard on the inside door handle to get out of his/her busted state…..and whalla! Said inside door handle busts off in his/her hand………now he/she is REALLY busted!!!!!!!!!! sigh………………
Mom’s head is starting to pound……life is starting to look just a tad bit bleak wondering how many more Predicaments she will have to post about in the next week and how much more money must be spent to fix dogs or trucks or washing machines or ?????
Mom skootches into the driver’s seat from the passenger’s side. She tries the automatic locks several times and finally gets it to unjam and unlock, rolls down the window, and is able to open the driver’s side door from the inside using the outside handle.
Well, that solution is a little inconvenient, but it works and alleviates Mom from any more skootching across the front seat of the truck and the fix can wait until the boys get home without being a showstopper.
There were a few tears as we headed down the driveway and a few lessons to teach. When what to my wondering ears did I hear? Something I don’t recall ever hearing from any of my children in 28 years of parenting. It was music to my ears (and pounding head too).
“Mom, it was really MY fault that the door lock got stuck!” he/she said.
Wow! This one is one for recording! I told said child how proud I was of him/her for admitting and confessing to his/her part of the problem. This particular child’s conscious and confession pump had been primed by a sin that had to be dealt with earlier in the morning. It took much time and was one reason why our trip to town was delayed. Earlier we had talked about I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Many times I wonder if my children are really, truly, hearing/understanding what I am trying to teach them. This time, this child was really truly listening and acted upon it. The fruit of that teaching and listening was beautiful music to my ears and my leaning-towards-discouragement heart.
It was beautiful to hear his/her conscience being soft enough to respond to the prick of the lesson and the Holy Spirit and thus confess his/her part in our most recent Predicament.
We finally got to town to pick up Predicament #3 from the vet’s office. Darby was happy to see us. She met us with wiggles and sniffs, a huge shaved spot on her side and 4-5″ of stitches and a drain tube. She’s now home resting comfortably (and for some reason wanting to chase the cats (need I ask “Why?” again?) and took her pain pill and antibiotic in a chunk of cheese like a champ. Maybe we’ll forego the pain pill if she thinks she’s well enough to chase cats with 4-5″ of sewing in her side!
While the Predicaments have been coming fast and furious since our men left for Washington, those small glimmers of mercy and hope that God sends with the Predicaments help to pick up my easily discouraged heart. They remind me that God is here caring for us whether the men are here or away. I need to remember that fact early enough so that my heart doesn’t lean towards discouragement at all!
His mercies are new every morning.
