After months and months of searching, Timothy finally found a good used truck. Well, I kinda found it for him. Would you believe he sent me on a mission to look at a truck in Birmingham, AL. He and Carl were on their way to California when he called and said he found a truck and that he wanted me to go check it out. WHAT?!?! "You want me to go check out a semi truck for you and make the decision of putting down a deposit?" "Yes, you can do it. I have faith in you." After sweet talking my parents into going with me, we all loaded up and headed up to Birmingham. Daddy inspected the outside and I inspected the inside. We must have done a pretty good job because Timothy is now the proud owner of a 2007 Peterbilt and is one happy fella! I don't think he'll ever stop smiling.
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| Happy! Happy! Happy! |
Since Timothy wouldn't let me go with him in his truck, I seriously considered traveling as a stow away. I searched and searched to try and find the perfect hiding spot but he had every little crook and cranny filled with "stuff". Since I couldn't go as a stow away, I told Carl that we would just have to get 2 loads going in the same direction...you know, so I could see for myself how he handled the busy cities and heavy traffic. He said he wanted us to all go together on the first couple of loads anyway so he could make sure his truck was going to do ok. He really just wanted his mama with him! And of course I was more than happy to oblige!
Off to Oklahoma we went and then to New Jersey. Wait..."New Jersey...Carl, isn't that one of the states you and Timothy said ya'll did not want to go to?" "I know, I know! I heard 2 loads and same direction so I took it." Just in case you haven't read any of my previous posts....We DO NOT LIKE working the east coast north of Virginia. The roads are too narrow...too much traffic...toll roads EVERYWHERE and they are not cheap...the signs don't make sense and well...it just isn't the same as the south and the west!
Timothy only had one drop off in New Jersey but we had 3 different drop offs and 2 of them were near the Jersey Shore...yay us! When the contact person for each drop off said, "I'll meet you at such and such spot and lead you in because there are some tricky turns," we knew we were in for an interesting day! While traveling to the second drop off, which was right on the Jersey Shore, Carl told me to make sure I took all the pictures I wanted because we would NOT be coming back. After getting drops 1 and 2 off without any problems we just knew we had it whooped. Yeah right! The last drop should have been the easiest...but...well, lets just say it was a royal pain! When Carl called to get directions, the man told him to take Exit 14 but didn't know which one...14, 14a, 14b or 14c. Well, according to the signs we needed 14c...WRONG! As we were crossing a bridge I said, "Look! There's the Empire State Building!" As we came off the bridge Carl said, "And if you look to your right you can see the Statue of Liberty!" Then our hearts stopped...straight in front of us were the toll booths, Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel. I don't think Carl has ever dialed a telephone number so fast in his life. "Are we going to be going into the city? Well, I am sitting here looking at the toll booths. Alright, I'll do something." Very irritated and disgusted, Carl said, "He told me we went too far. We should have gotten off at exit 14 and they are not going to wait on us. We are going to have to spend the night on their yard and unload tomorrow." "Well, if they'd given us the right directions to begin with we wouldn't be in this mess. Now I won't get to see Timothy tonight." Laughing and trying to make me feel better Carl said, "You wanted to tour New York anyway!" "Not like this! Not in a semi-truck! What are we going to do? How are we going to get turned around?" "That guy wanted me to see if the toll booth worker would let us make a U-turn." "Are you kidding me...a U-turn? Does he really think we can make a U-turn in all this traffic in this big truck?" We have toured New York City before...in a car...and on foot. The roads and traffic are crazy ridiculous and Jersey City...well...the roads and traffic are very similar to New York City. My heart was beating a hundred miles per hour...my hands were sweaty...and I had the strongest death grip on my chair. Carl... he looked cool as a cucumber! That is the reason he is the driver of LC and I'm not. After paying $12.50 to go through the toll booth, we went to the first red light turned left and went right back out. "Thank you Lord!"
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| If there's water, then I have to put my feet in it The Jersey Shore |
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| This area was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy |
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| Three days after the new owners bought this restaurant Hurricane Sandy came and completely destroyed it. It is still in the rebuilding process. |
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| Look beyond the building and you will see the Statue of Liberty |
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| Jersey City |
Happy girl...sad girl! Timothy is now traveling the wild blue yonder on his own. Before he left he kept asking me if I was going to be ok. He and Carl both knew the water works were on their way. Having a good cry is not something I have trouble with. Tears of joy...tears of sadness...tears of amazement...tears of frustration...you name it and I shed tears for it. Watching him drive off was like watching him drive out of the drive way for the first time when he was 16. As I watched him drive away I remembered a verse from a devotion that I had recently read, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8. Wow! Christ even cares about my tears. I've never really thought about that before. I know He cares about everything in our lives and everything we go through but I've never really thought about our tears. Just as He knows every hair on my head; He knows every tear that has ever been shed and He has collected them in His bottle. I must say though; He has a lot and I mean a lot of bottles filled with just my tears. When we see a loved one crying and hurting our heart aches for them. We want to hold them and make their pain go away. The same thing is true for Christ. When He sees our tears He feels our pain. Not only does He collect our tears in His bottle but He records them in His book. That just takes my breath away knowing that my tears have also been recorded in the book of my Lord and Savior. Psalm 34:15 says, "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry." When Christ sees our tears and hears our cries He is right there for us. He prays for us. He holds us. He comforts us. He gives us peace. He wipes our tears away.
Yes, my friends I did shed quite a few tears that day. I didn't have an emotional break down like I had thought I might and that I had warned Carlos about but I did have a really good cry. They were not so much tears of sadness but also tears of joy and excitement. Timothy has always dreamed of owning his own truck, being his own boss and traveling the country. His dream has come true so you see...my tears were filled with every kind of emotion you can think of. But one thing is for sure...as each tear of sadness was shed, Christ felt my pain and prayed for me and as each tear of joy and excitement was shed, Christ smiled and rejoiced with me. And as each tear was shed, He collected that tear and put it in His bottle that I believe has "Lynne's Tears" written on it.
Let your tears flow!
Til we meet again,
Lynne
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