That little voice inside my head said to take the keys with me.
I pulled them out of the ignition. Held onto them for a second thought. Then, I threw them on the seat behind me when I exited the truck. I closed the door with credit card in hand in order to begin the process of pumping gas. I had just entered my zip code when I heard it. Honk! Thunk!
In disbelief, I turned around and pulled on the door handle. It indeed had been my truck horn I had just heard, followed by the ever familiar thunk of the doors locking. Really?!! I looked around (as if someone was playing a trick on me or something and they would suddenly come out of hiding with the keys to unlock them again). Not happening. I was locked out of my truck...with keys and cell phone staring back at me from inside those locked doors.
At Kroger there is no slow time at the gas pumps. Always are there cars piled one or two deep in line. Thankful that a young lady had just pulled up in front of me, I asked her if I could borrow her cell phone so I could call my husband about my situation. She said, with sympathy in her eyes, of course. Making that phone call was not high on my list of things I wanted to do for the day. It wasn't on my list at all. A last minute write in only because I had to...only because I ignored that little voice just a few minutes earlier.
For a moment, as my words sank in, did hope rise because Scott reminded me of that little godsend blue star button now in most vehicles. OnStar will save the day. All he had to do was call them for me and I'd have instant help from who knows where. Who cares where as long as they can help me get into the truck and out of my embarrassing situation.
Um, yeah...what do you mean they can't find us in their system?
Oh. They can't find us in their system.
Guess it's driving home and getting the spare keys for me after all. I'm so sorry!
Am I the only person who thinks time goes slower when you are waiting for something or someone? Especially when you are waiting to be rescued, doesn't it seem that way? We don't live that far away from the gas station. However, those seconds in each minute seemed to be minutes themselves.
Waiting.
Waiting in anticipation.
Anticipation of a hero...someone who would come and save the day...or what was left of it at least.
My mind went to things to be thankful for in the moment, in order to pass the time and keep me otherwise occupied. Sunshine. Warm temperature. Safe area. Clueless clerk who didn't care a bit that I was now blocking one of his working pumps. Understanding customers who seemed thankful that I would walk to their car behind me and let them know I wasn't going anywhere anytime fast. Thankful that it was a weekend day and Scott wasn't at work. Thankful the boys weren't with me (although if they had been, the doors locking on their own wouldn't have been an issue). I was feeling better.
I then began thinking about the whole waiting in anticipation concept. I knew what I was waiting on. I had hope and faith help was on the way. There was nothing I could (reasonably) do for myself to get myself out of my trouble. I had to hold onto that hope and faith and wait. Others did not have to wait with me. They could form their own opinion of my situation. And make decisions on what to do for themselves. I had choices to make during my wait...my attitude, my mood, my willingness to let others know, my patience. Life would go on while I waited. I could choose to sit and pout, but that wouldn't help my situation. I could keeping asking "Why?" but that would not unlock my doors.
So, I waited by my truck and with a smile on my face, until I needed to make that walk to those folks who pulled in behind me to wait their turn for gas. I got alot of "Bless your heart" responses. (If you don't know, that's not a "sorry" kind of remark, but more of a "pitiful you" kind of remark.) And, humbled, I waited.
I remembered some people in the Bible who had to wait. In anticipation of the Savior, those in OT times lived out their lives while waiting for the promised Messiah. NT times gave us the Messiah...and the people walked and talked with Jesus. They saw Him born, crucified and buried, and risen again. Some believed. Some didn't. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, we went back on the waiting list, awaiting His return.
Lessons on waiting are found in other people's life accounts in the Bible, too. David had to wait 22 years to be king (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 5). Hannah had to wait on having her first baby (1 Samuel 1). Jacob had to wait to have Rachel as his wife...twice, even. (Genesis 29).
Waiting can be glorifying to God. It can be a time of learning, leaning, and growing. It can be hard. No matter the 'why' of waiting, I need to think on the 'what' of waiting. What am I to do while I wait? I cannot change the wait, but I can do something while I'm waiting.
My hero came with the spare keys. My day resumed.
All those precious minutes of my day were not wasted in waiting.
They gave me all the time I needed to remember the good that can come out of waiting. I lived out life in those moments with a smile and with precious thoughts of God's people whose lives can help me learn about glorifying God in my waiting.
And, reminded me that I need to listen to and trust that little voice inside my head...just in case.
I pulled them out of the ignition. Held onto them for a second thought. Then, I threw them on the seat behind me when I exited the truck. I closed the door with credit card in hand in order to begin the process of pumping gas. I had just entered my zip code when I heard it. Honk! Thunk!
In disbelief, I turned around and pulled on the door handle. It indeed had been my truck horn I had just heard, followed by the ever familiar thunk of the doors locking. Really?!! I looked around (as if someone was playing a trick on me or something and they would suddenly come out of hiding with the keys to unlock them again). Not happening. I was locked out of my truck...with keys and cell phone staring back at me from inside those locked doors.
At Kroger there is no slow time at the gas pumps. Always are there cars piled one or two deep in line. Thankful that a young lady had just pulled up in front of me, I asked her if I could borrow her cell phone so I could call my husband about my situation. She said, with sympathy in her eyes, of course. Making that phone call was not high on my list of things I wanted to do for the day. It wasn't on my list at all. A last minute write in only because I had to...only because I ignored that little voice just a few minutes earlier.
For a moment, as my words sank in, did hope rise because Scott reminded me of that little godsend blue star button now in most vehicles. OnStar will save the day. All he had to do was call them for me and I'd have instant help from who knows where. Who cares where as long as they can help me get into the truck and out of my embarrassing situation.
Um, yeah...what do you mean they can't find us in their system?
Oh. They can't find us in their system.
Guess it's driving home and getting the spare keys for me after all. I'm so sorry!
Am I the only person who thinks time goes slower when you are waiting for something or someone? Especially when you are waiting to be rescued, doesn't it seem that way? We don't live that far away from the gas station. However, those seconds in each minute seemed to be minutes themselves.
Waiting.
Waiting in anticipation.
Anticipation of a hero...someone who would come and save the day...or what was left of it at least.
My mind went to things to be thankful for in the moment, in order to pass the time and keep me otherwise occupied. Sunshine. Warm temperature. Safe area. Clueless clerk who didn't care a bit that I was now blocking one of his working pumps. Understanding customers who seemed thankful that I would walk to their car behind me and let them know I wasn't going anywhere anytime fast. Thankful that it was a weekend day and Scott wasn't at work. Thankful the boys weren't with me (although if they had been, the doors locking on their own wouldn't have been an issue). I was feeling better.
I then began thinking about the whole waiting in anticipation concept. I knew what I was waiting on. I had hope and faith help was on the way. There was nothing I could (reasonably) do for myself to get myself out of my trouble. I had to hold onto that hope and faith and wait. Others did not have to wait with me. They could form their own opinion of my situation. And make decisions on what to do for themselves. I had choices to make during my wait...my attitude, my mood, my willingness to let others know, my patience. Life would go on while I waited. I could choose to sit and pout, but that wouldn't help my situation. I could keeping asking "Why?" but that would not unlock my doors.
So, I waited by my truck and with a smile on my face, until I needed to make that walk to those folks who pulled in behind me to wait their turn for gas. I got alot of "Bless your heart" responses. (If you don't know, that's not a "sorry" kind of remark, but more of a "pitiful you" kind of remark.) And, humbled, I waited.
I remembered some people in the Bible who had to wait. In anticipation of the Savior, those in OT times lived out their lives while waiting for the promised Messiah. NT times gave us the Messiah...and the people walked and talked with Jesus. They saw Him born, crucified and buried, and risen again. Some believed. Some didn't. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, we went back on the waiting list, awaiting His return.
Lessons on waiting are found in other people's life accounts in the Bible, too. David had to wait 22 years to be king (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 5). Hannah had to wait on having her first baby (1 Samuel 1). Jacob had to wait to have Rachel as his wife...twice, even. (Genesis 29).
Waiting can be glorifying to God. It can be a time of learning, leaning, and growing. It can be hard. No matter the 'why' of waiting, I need to think on the 'what' of waiting. What am I to do while I wait? I cannot change the wait, but I can do something while I'm waiting.
My hero came with the spare keys. My day resumed.
All those precious minutes of my day were not wasted in waiting.
They gave me all the time I needed to remember the good that can come out of waiting. I lived out life in those moments with a smile and with precious thoughts of God's people whose lives can help me learn about glorifying God in my waiting.
And, reminded me that I need to listen to and trust that little voice inside my head...just in case.
You made me take time to read your story and to think about all you wrote. It was nothing I did not know, it was nothing I have not heard before, it wasn't even something new. And because you write so beautifully and because I was thinking about you which led me to your page hence to read your story and I am touched and thankful and Blessed. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteGod is that good to bless us just "at random" in His perfect time. Thank you for reading my post(s)...my randomness blessing someone else is still a surprise to me, but that how our God rolls. :)
ReplyDeleteJanet, you are all too cute. I so sat here with this cheesy grin on my face the entire time I read your post!
ReplyDeleteI too, locked myself out of my car a few years back (or so I thought) I was in a hurry to leave work, to get home to my family (winter in AK) I called the ONSTAR, they were able to find me, but it still took me another 45 minutes after they unlocked me to find my keys. They were in my coat pocket in the bathroom. I think God was telling me to slow down.