More that just luck...

Okay here is a secret....


(I'm not really sure how to be a "grown up.")


For people that have known me my whole life that statement might seem... a little... well, stupid.

You see, I think I came out of the womb balancing my checkbook and thinking about my future. I don't think I ever even spent my birthday money because I always just wanted to "save it in case something really important came up." You never know when you'll have to buy a brand new set of tires for your over used Barbie Jeep, I guess.

What I mean is, that I'm just not sure I'm ready for a real, live grown up job that I have to do all year for the next forty years. ...In fact, that's why I decided to do this whole harvest deal in the first place. I hurried up and worked really hard to get done with college in 4 years. When I got out... I was in NO hurry to start this whole life-job thing.

I mean... I've always worked. I've just never been glued to the same schedule or routine, job, or expectations for more that three months at a time.

So after a summer of the hustle and bustle of harvesting, that I LOVED, I realized I needed a break.

Not just any break, I needed a sabbatical.

So one morning when I woke up to a note on my Facebook from my cousin, Ginger, that quoted her daughter, Taylor, that said:

Ginger: Taylor, why didn't you take a good nap today?
Taylor: Well, I just really miss my Aunt Ally.

That's all that it took. I called Ginger and told her I was in my way. Her response was simply, "You better not be kidding because I'm already washing your sheets!"

I've made this long drive to central Illinois quite a few times, so it didn't take long for me to pack up a suitcase full of needed-to-be-washed clothes, some dog food, and (of course) my pup. Then, I left. I drove without needing a map. Just good radio and luck to guide me.

Things were going well. Jagger was asleep, I had missed Tulsa rush hour and had timed it just right so I didn't have to stop in Joplin for anything. (I refuse to stop in Joplin!)

Good timing, good mood, and good tunes were all I needed. Things were going great. Well... Until all of the road construction in Missouri. The roads were rough, a lot of bumps, some stop-and-go, then I was through it. Okay. After this one last OhMyGoodness! bump.

Wait! Was that a bump?? Did I just have a blow out?!? My heart was racing.

So I looked behind me. I didn't see a tire, but something had DEFINITELY happened. So, I slowed down and took the next exit. I pulled into a gas station and checked all my tires: all four still had tread and still looked pretty decent. I continued my walk around... everything looked normal... Well, until I got to the front of my car. I called Lance.

"Hey... "
Yeah?
"You know that plastic bumper thing that is on the underside of my bumper. That is not actually my bumper, but it's that part that scraps on stuff if I pull too far forward??"

*Sometimes I really don't have any idea how he understands me so well. It's like he has a language gift for Allysonism.*

Yeah...
"Well, its hanging down. Like way down. I don't know what to do."
Can you rip it off?
"Are you serious? No."
Well, then if it's not too low keep driving.

So, I tried it. It seemed fine, for a minute. By the time I started getting up to interstate speed, I could hear it. It was dragging on the pavement of the road.

So, I took the next exit. Why did I drive to Illinois again? This was stupid! I'm driving across the nation by myself with my pup. Didn't I learn my lessen last time?? (That's a previous story if you haven't read it already.)

But... I was lucky. This exit I had was a Walmart exit, but not just a regular Walmart...but a Walmart with an Auto Center!

I drive around back, park and try to find some one to talk to me. I found someone.

"Excuse me sir.."
*Long conversation explaining my problem and that I was a girl driving from northwest Oklahoma heading to central Illinois with a broken car and a dog.*
His response...
Sorry. We can't help you we do maintenance work, not body work.

Maybe in response to the sheer terror in my eyes that were starting to get a little shiny with tears and my cracking voice trying to say, "I understand, thank you for your time anyway."

He turned around and said, but I guess... if you want.. you can ask Lex.

I was on a mission, a mission to find Lex. After a little bit of asking around and attempting to slyly read name tags, I found him.

I explain my story that I told the first guy and pointed to my car and then... he walked away.

Huh?

Then he came back with a handful of zip ties and walked me to my car. He laid on the ground and started zipping things up. We had a little friendly conversation about allergies and traveling. His wife and why I was heading to Illinois. By that time, he was finished.

With a broken voice and teary eyes I tried to make my words form the gratefulness I was feeling. I just couldn't believe that just a few minutes before I was stranded and hopeless. I wasn't sure where I was going to go or what my next step would be. And now...now I was safe. Now when I had no one else, Lex was there. A "thank you" and a "you have NO idea how much this means to me" just wasn't enough, but I said it anyway.

His response?

I'm glad I could help. You know and when you get to where you are going and if you have the time, try to make it to church. God bless you.

You see, all this time I had more than just luck. I had love. God's love and love personified through Lex.

I thanked him again and before I got in my car I was already crying. That was one of the most impressive things that has ever happened to me. Not because it was a great act, but because I had nothing else. I had nowhere to go and a stranger's kindness ministered to me and renewed my faith. He gave me a gentle reminder of what true ministry can be. Lex is a Roman's 12 man. If you haven't read it in a while, read it now. Look it up. Google it. If have never read it in the The Message version, please do. I just love the way it's phrased.

Thank you Lex for taking your everyday, ordinary job and saving me, shining a light, and giving me a story to tell.