re-routing

Saying see you later is not fun.

I did not want to leave my family in Akron this morning but I also want to be home. What are you supposed to do when your heart is in more than place? I asked my mother-in-law if it was okay for me to cry and throw a mini tantrum because I didn't want to go. She told me it was, so as we hugged goodbye I cried on her shoulder (without stomping my feet) as she prayed over me.

I stopped and visited with my mom and brother Charles and got more hugs. Last night when I left the care facility I thought I had told my aunt and her friend and my step sister Margie goodbye. But as I left my mom's I knew I needed to make a trip to Barberton for one more hug and smile from them. Afterward I stopped at Lake Anna and did two laps. (gotta get those steps)

I looked at my watch. I had already spent as much time re-routing, trying to leave Ohio, than it should take for me to drive home!  

I had entertained a thought of taking the hour detour required to stop and see my friend Marie. I was already going to be late, what harm was there in being a little later? I would still get home before dark. 

My plan was to grab a quick hug and then stop at a fast food restaurant on my way out of town so I could get home for the end of Bible Study, unload the car and head to a 9 pm meeting.

I parked the car, went in the back door of the building, walked upstairs and as I rounded the corner where I knew Marie would be sitting at her desk I said, "Surprise! Did I scare you?" She couldn't see me yet and didn't recognize my voice. Her reply was a disinterested "no". When she saw me I was welcomed with a huge smile, hug and disbelieving "what are you doing here !!!" 

I explained where I have been and what I have been doing the last 8 days. When she saw 4 ibuprofen in my hand she told me to go downstairs, get a bottle of water, come back upstairs, take my medicine and lay on the couch in the private sitting room for the last 30 minutes of her work day. She wanted to treat me to supper. I was hesitant. If I did any of that I would not make it home for any of our Bible Study. But my head and back did ache and a quick rest sounded wonderful since I did not sleep well last night.

I succumbed to her suggestion to lie down and was still on the fence about supper. By the time she was done, I was feeling better. I thought "if we have a quick bite to eat I can still make it for the meeting. The restaurant was a 3 block walk and as we started she said, "You are staying the night?" I hesitated, and told her I had not planned on staying. She asked again, except it was not so much a question as it was a statement. When her husband joined us for supper he too "asked" if I was staying the night. When I hesitated with my response to him he told me I needed to come down to the farm, sit on the deck with a cup of tea, put my feet up and enjoy the pond.

I still didn't know what I was going to do. As we ate our delicious meal I could feel my body begin to relax more. I hadn't realized I was tense! As we finished eating Thom received a phone call from their son Chris. His youngest daughter had a splinter in her foot and needed her grandma. I told them I would walk back to the house to get my car and they could go on to help Chris. I ended up making the trip with them. As I received a welcoming hug from Chris he asked if I was staying the night. (Do you notice the common theme here?) As I sat on the screened porch I took a deep contented breath. 

I didn't know it when I made the decision to go home via Millersburg, but I needed this short time with this family. They amaze me. Even though they did not know I was coming, both families asked me to stay in their home tonight. When we got back to the office I called the ones who were expecting me to be home today and told them Marie was kidnapping me overnight.

After a short walk to see the areas they have been clearing and to look at a place that would be perfect to build a small cabin on, I had my cup of tea on the deck overlooking the pond. We enjoyed watching the yellow moon climb in the sky. we listened to the bullfrogs, the tree frogs and the peepers. We saw Swallows. We laughed. We talked. We listened. Our relationship grew.

Re-routing. Occasionally we need to allow people we trust to influence us to do something we had not planned on doing because sometimes they can see things in us that we are blind to.