Highs and Lows

My good friend, Bernice, accompanied me to the Mark Lowry concert last evening. It was truly a night of motivation and inspiration. Mark is funny beyond explanation and yet zings bare truth into his humor. I was impressed with his gut level and transparant vulnerability. I think that type of character reaches into the hearts of others. No pretense. No mask. This is what I am, these are my struggles, these are my convictions. Jesus accepts me through His shed blood for my sins and so you can take me or leave me. That is the message I got from Mark. I truly enjoyed myself and feel better for having attended. I feel badly that Ken wasn't able to attend because he is really the Mark Lowry fan around here. Any attraction I have for Mark is from my husband. When I returned home at 11:00 p.m, Ken was standing on the sidewalk waiting for me. "How was it?" was his first question. The smile on his face told me he knew we had had a good time and he wished he had been there. Ken is a very giving kind of guy and so never complains about missing something like that. Me, on the other hand..................................



Yesterday was a day filled with clouds of expectation and disappointments. Ken talked with the owner of Beaut around seven thirty yesterday morning. The plans were verified. We were to pick Beaut up around 1:30. We got in the area a bit early and when we rode by the house where Beaut had been setting, there was no Beaut. What the world is going on here? I called Ken and he in his trusting way said the guy had probably taken it to get some air in the tires. Sure. Well his suggestion was to wait until 1:30 before we took off. I smelled dead fish right away. All I could think was how grateful I was that the man had not taken the deposit I had offered him earlier in the week. I called the guy's number several times and only got a voice message service. About the third time, I was getting a little riled and said something like this, "Hey John, this is Gayle and I'm here in front of your house with hot money in my hand. The trailer is gone and you're not here. What in the hey doodle doodle is goin on? I expect a courtesy call". Not quite as nice as Ken would have been.



I was with Elton and Lauri and their kids as they were going to use their Durango to pull Beaut home. The kids were getting restless and had one question after another. The gallons of lemonade and soda they drank at the restaurant when we ate lunch had made the way to the other end and two of them had to find a place to empty their tank. There was nothing in the area where one would dare to take little kids to a restroom. So, we headed south to the Southlake area where we used a Starbuck's RR. Obviously, we picked up lattes also. That was some comfort. After continued phone calls to the "I am an honest man", we decided we were going to go home.



Mark Lowry sang a song last night that went something like this; "Every need you will get, sometimes the opposite". It was written using both a spiritual insight and a human insight. Sometimes we think we know what we need and we make plans. Other times, we get what we don't think we need when God interrupts us. Interruptions aren't always fun. Actually, Ken and I both looked at this silver bullet thing as God's gift to us to enjoy a desire of our heart. It was pulled out right from under us. Someone else came along between 7:30 yesterday morning and 1:30 yesterday afternoon that would give considerably more money than had been agreed upon. Instead of calling us and talking it over with us, the "honest man" (which he called himself) sold it to the other people and let us come to get what was no longer there. Now there is part of me that gets mad as a hornet about that deal. On the way home from church, my old woman mind said, I'll call him so many times it will bug the dickens out of him. He won't answer our phone calls. He had his brother call and "explain" to us. I can feel my bp rise as I tell the story. Then the spirit of God said, "Gayle, why would you as my ambassador, want to antagonize another human? Don't you trust that I know what is best for you? Don't you know that I will give you the desire of your heart if you follow me without complaint and without resorting to human measures?"



Yes, Lord. There is no Beaut in our driveway and we can't start the restoring process tomorrow. BUT, I know you are sovereign and that you do all things well. I trust that you will bring other things into our lives to bring us joy and pleasure. If it could be a silver bullet, I'd be delighted. And if it could be a good deal, I'd be more delighted. And if it were clean to begin with, I would be thrilled to the core. I surrender to your will. In the name of Jesus.



Now, I wonder. I think Beaut is the perfect name for a tired old trailer with possibilities. Did I name this one too soon? Can I name another Beaut,too? Kind of reminds me that we have had three dogs named Little Bit. We will see what the future holds. God is good ALL the time.