nudges, plans and hurdles
Nudge, according to Dictionary.com
to push slightly or gently, especially with the elbow,
to get someone's attention, prod someone into action, etc.
Tuesday I was nudged in my spirit to make a trip to Akron on Thursday. I had planned to make this trip, just not this week, but I am pretty certain if I had ignored the nudge it would have escalated into a push. (Past experience speaking.) So I made a new plan. Put it onto action Tuesday night. And nothing went the way I intended. At one point today I prayed for wisdom to discern if these were merely hurdles or roadblocks. There was no obvious stop sign so kept going. As I drove the 300 miles to my destination I had 5 hours to think, to ponder, to pray, to sing, to wonder, to anticipate.
One thing that came to mind was time and how strange it is to move from one point to another. How have I gotten through the last sixteen and a half months without Bill? One step at a time. Much the same way I was covering those 300 miles one tire rotation at a time. (Well, technically there were four tires rotating thankfully.) There is no other way to do it than to simply begin, go as far as you can, stop and rest and refuel and then begin again.
Memories flooded my mind as I travelled 64E to 77N. I have travelled portions of this route (both by myself and as part of varied groups), for different reasons-Ashland and/or Huntington often, shopping, medical reasons or camp. As far as Charleston, where I pick up 77N, less frequently. I have made a few trips to the airport there and last year it was the destination for a David Crowder concert that two dear friends treated me to. Normally I drive past Charleston, taking one fork in the road for sporting events over the years, the other for trips to Akron.
Akron. So many memories. It was home for our family (Bill, me, Beth, Sarah, Deborah and Jonathan) until some time after we moved to Grayson. Slowly, as we made new memories and put down roots, Grayson became home and Akron a place we used to live.Trips at Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit family and friends. Part of my family still lives here. Some have moved on to different cities and a few have passed on to their final home.
There are several ways to to get to my final destination so I let Siri choose. She had me get off the interstate at Tallmadge Avenue. At the intersection of that exit sits one of the two High Schools I attended. Memories began to burst like fireworks in rapid succession. I passed the place where a drive in restaraunt used to be and recalled the visit I received from one of Hell's Angels (Biker) giving me a phone number to call if I needed help-that conversation was instigated by a beating I received when I was mistaken for someone else. As I passed my Middle School I had a flashback to the place I received that beating and the memory of my dads face full of anger and fear when he saw me, (I had been kicked and stomped and could have lost the sight in one of my eyes.) I remembered the man who came running out of a business and put a stop to the beating, putting himself in danger to protect me. As I passed one of the churches I remembered walking there from my home down the road. If it had been daylight I would have been more tempted to make several detours to actually look at the places I was thinking about. As I continued driving I "saw" Bill and I on this road countless times as we went to his parent's home, first just the two of us, then with our children. It seemed like I had more memories flood my mind in that 5 mile stretch between the exit and my destination than I had in the 295 miles beforehand. Time is weird.
I just need a few days with mom Bondurant, she was my destination. Cheryl, Bill's sister was here when I arrived. It was a great surprise to see her and to hug her. Mom and I did a lot of reminiscing this evening. I imagine the next few days will be full of that. I am looking forward to it. And I am glad I obeyed the nudge and jumped the hurdles it took to get here.
to push slightly or gently, especially with the elbow,
to get someone's attention, prod someone into action, etc.
Tuesday I was nudged in my spirit to make a trip to Akron on Thursday. I had planned to make this trip, just not this week, but I am pretty certain if I had ignored the nudge it would have escalated into a push. (Past experience speaking.) So I made a new plan. Put it onto action Tuesday night. And nothing went the way I intended. At one point today I prayed for wisdom to discern if these were merely hurdles or roadblocks. There was no obvious stop sign so kept going. As I drove the 300 miles to my destination I had 5 hours to think, to ponder, to pray, to sing, to wonder, to anticipate.
One thing that came to mind was time and how strange it is to move from one point to another. How have I gotten through the last sixteen and a half months without Bill? One step at a time. Much the same way I was covering those 300 miles one tire rotation at a time. (Well, technically there were four tires rotating thankfully.) There is no other way to do it than to simply begin, go as far as you can, stop and rest and refuel and then begin again.
Memories flooded my mind as I travelled 64E to 77N. I have travelled portions of this route (both by myself and as part of varied groups), for different reasons-Ashland and/or Huntington often, shopping, medical reasons or camp. As far as Charleston, where I pick up 77N, less frequently. I have made a few trips to the airport there and last year it was the destination for a David Crowder concert that two dear friends treated me to. Normally I drive past Charleston, taking one fork in the road for sporting events over the years, the other for trips to Akron.
Akron. So many memories. It was home for our family (Bill, me, Beth, Sarah, Deborah and Jonathan) until some time after we moved to Grayson. Slowly, as we made new memories and put down roots, Grayson became home and Akron a place we used to live.Trips at Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit family and friends. Part of my family still lives here. Some have moved on to different cities and a few have passed on to their final home.
There are several ways to to get to my final destination so I let Siri choose. She had me get off the interstate at Tallmadge Avenue. At the intersection of that exit sits one of the two High Schools I attended. Memories began to burst like fireworks in rapid succession. I passed the place where a drive in restaraunt used to be and recalled the visit I received from one of Hell's Angels (Biker) giving me a phone number to call if I needed help-that conversation was instigated by a beating I received when I was mistaken for someone else. As I passed my Middle School I had a flashback to the place I received that beating and the memory of my dads face full of anger and fear when he saw me, (I had been kicked and stomped and could have lost the sight in one of my eyes.) I remembered the man who came running out of a business and put a stop to the beating, putting himself in danger to protect me. As I passed one of the churches I remembered walking there from my home down the road. If it had been daylight I would have been more tempted to make several detours to actually look at the places I was thinking about. As I continued driving I "saw" Bill and I on this road countless times as we went to his parent's home, first just the two of us, then with our children. It seemed like I had more memories flood my mind in that 5 mile stretch between the exit and my destination than I had in the 295 miles beforehand. Time is weird.
I just need a few days with mom Bondurant, she was my destination. Cheryl, Bill's sister was here when I arrived. It was a great surprise to see her and to hug her. Mom and I did a lot of reminiscing this evening. I imagine the next few days will be full of that. I am looking forward to it. And I am glad I obeyed the nudge and jumped the hurdles it took to get here.
So glad you allowed yourself to be nudged! So glad it was a great trip.
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