Travel Its Path, Find Rest For Your Souls

 Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the Lord says:
“Stop at the crossroads and look around.
    Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it.
Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.

There is a road that I travel almost everyday of the week. It is a winding, curving road. The scenery runs the whole gamete from houses and farms, rivers and valleys, trees and vegetative overgrowth of every kind of weed, both beheld in the beauty of flowers and in the world of just plain old, ratty tatty, ragged weeds. There is a house and the man that lives there...well, I have seen him outside many, many times. He never ever has a shirt on. What's with that? Even after several years, there are bends and turns and squiggly  yellow signs warning drivers to slow down for the curves ahead, that can still take me by surprise. When I come upon that wiggly squiggly portion of the road, I cannot help but think of the day when two drivers were trying to draw me into a staged fender bender. It would have worked except for the grace of God. I was distracted and in deep thought because Roy had called and I happened to be in the grocery store. He told me that Adult Protective Services had called him at the office. He was none too happy about that and he interpreted the conversation to be that of, who is going to take care of these antics and complaints about my father. He suggested I stop whatever I was doing, go home and call them back from the house phone...being that I was in NC and a NC number would show on Caller ID. A wave of nausea came over me, no make that several waves of nausea. The usual began, me shutting down, drawing inward, gathering the emotional wagons once again to fend off an attack. An untrue and mean attack. Driving home, thinking about and praying for the upcoming conversation with the authorities, the near accident attempt happened. But oddly enough, I missed the intended victim and the second person involved jumped out of a truck that had pulled to a stop on the side of the road. He was yelling I saw everything! I saw everything! Only there was nothing to see cause nothing had happened. Maybe this was supposed to be a sign unto me that the empty, untrue accusations that were a waste of time and taxpayers money would be empty, void...the set up wasn't going to work according to the plan. When I talked to the lady investigating the claims I asked her to call my brother. He could explain what was going on since I had not seen nor talked with my father since March 27, 2012. Doug talked with her, referred her to another investigator that had worked this case just a couple of months before and asked her to call back if she had any questions. We never heard from her again. The story isn't really about all that, it is about that place on the road that brings me to thankfulness and praise every time I wind around it because God protected me that day and turned something meant to be sinister to nothing at all.

There is usually a crossroad to our decisions on how we will react. I love driving the roads around here because there are so many moments that have been special taking in the scenery and beauty of this area that we get to call home. When I come to these places, I tend not to think firstly of the issue or problem that brought me to drive but rather to recall the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living...and at those places sometimes I stop...well, not on the wiggly squiggly portion of the roads, but a safe spot to pull over and be grateful and thankful...to give praise to God.

Yesterday, another chance to remember as Buddy and I made our way to the vet's office. Yes, the time I dread, mani/pedi time for Buddy. Roy and I decided not to give her a chill pill before her appointment. Sometimes, I think the stress of getting the pill into Buddy adds to her behavior. Waiting for the pill to do its work we have to make sure all the hiding places are inaccessible. Instead, I quietly closed doors during commercials as she and I relaxed in the bonus room watching TV. Watching TV during the day is not a normal thing for me but sometimes I watch before going to bed. So Buddy settled in nicely. She even let me carry her downstairs without a fight. With new knees I think the certainty of my steps is the reason why she didn't squirm. Didn't fight me going into the crate and she didn't meow chaotically as is the norm. As we made our way to the appointment I realized I hadn't been on this particular road since that fateful night in April when my tooth broke. With Publix so close I rarely go to The Fresh Market, which is on the same road as the vet. Lots of changes happening as the economy in the area picks up. But as we rode along I was able to be grateful that there is an urgent care dentist in the area, that we have dental insurance and came to realize, sometimes I am little dense, who am I kidding? Sometimes??? Anyway, my frustration with the timing of getting appointments and procedures clearly came from my lack of attention or urgency to secure a dentist here in a timely manner.

And at the vet appointment with the techs that have all the notes on Buddy and the procedure to remove her from the cage, I said something that they probably took offense to. They always want to take the crate apart to which I respond, just open the top of the crate. The look on their faces says, no one is that brave. So, I undid the top, heard their gasps as I reached into the cage and petted Buddy. I should have taken her out but instead looked at them like...see. So, they put a towel over Buddy to get her out and then this mat over the towel. I think this adds to not calms down Buddy. The trimming was uneventful and for this I am happy. They weren't too happy that I hadn't given Buddy a chill pill, so I said, her vet in Houston has driven a team in the Iditirod Race in Alaska numerous times and says if I can do that, I can trim a cat's nails. She doesn't towel Buddy at all. I love how they treat our pets but sometimes they are a little too zen for me.

It is so entertaining for the most part...yes, even squirrels but not so much snakes, watching nature happen among the butterfly bushes and around the bird feeder in the backyard. These young cardinals siblings are skittish and throws the everything off as other birds scatter from the nervousness of young birds.They are usually out kind of early...Early in interpretation of the morning riser...anyway, they seem to have lots of fun together. The special treat last night, the Bunny Foo Foo's eating together as a family. Mom had her baby with her while dad ate near the gravel road keeping an eye out for predators.

So this Saturday morning is feeling like a brunch morning. Roy said he almost called me earlier while he waited for Bible study to begin. I am so thankful he decided against that. Again there seems to be the conspiracy not to let me sleep in by Roy and Buddy. Buddy cooperated this morning so that left Roy to be the rogue conspirator...thankfully, he came to his senses.