The View from Mayberry

This isn't the first time I've touted the benefits of small town life. There's such a simple charm to it at times that I can't help mentioning it once in awhile. We've had a couple of experiences over the past month that have reminded me once again of why I like it so much.

Just last week, Nate and I stopped by the local Harrisburg gas station/garage/furniture building shop. As the owner, Ken, was pumping our gas he said, "You all are an intelligent couple - what do you know about Romulus and Remus?"

Wow...how many city convenience stores can you pull into and not only have the owner pump your gas for you, but also compliment your IQ level and quiz you about Roman mythology?

Before that incident, I was reminded again when we went to visit my 22 year old at college.  Bethany attends school 9 hours away from home...in a little Arkansas town that perhaps could be "Hicksville, USA," especially if you judge it by the local people's dialect. However, we recently found one of its small-town advantages.

We can't afford late model vehicles.  Thus, during Bethany's years of attending college in Arkadelphia (yes, that is really the name of the town) she's had her fair share of needing to deal with local mechanics. It's such a helpless feeling as a parent to have a daughter that far from home with a broken down vehicle. Of course we want to go help her out and solve the problem for her, and yet reality (and her father) says, "Bethany, you need to do the best you can with this and we'll advise you along the way." Thus, in 3 1/2 years time, she's probably tried that many automotive places in Arkadelphia...only to eventually be frustrated and disgusted with the level of care and service her and her car receives. This year has been no different. Thus, when we went down there last month with the knowledge that her car, once again, needed attention, we were determined that if a good mechanic existed in Arkadelphia, we were going to find him. (My apologies if that is sexist to assume a mechanic will be male. ;-)

Bethany had already asked around amongst her college friends. A couple of them recommended one certain shop that they liked. We weren't completely convinced that college kids from out of state might know the very best, local mechanic. Thus, that evening after we arrived, we walked into the local "U Save More" mart...or was it "Save U More?" Either way - it was very local.

Two guys with chewing tobacco stained teeth were "shootin' the breeze" near the front of the store, so Nate asked them point blank, "Where's the best place to find a good mechanic in this town?" They looked at each other...thought a minute, then said, "Well - you gotta go across the tracks..."

Ah ha - that was the key.  We hadn't yet tried the wrong side of the tracks.

The next morning, Nate went looking for that mechanic. Nate liked him right away when he mentioned, "Well, my daughter's car had over 300,000 miles on it when we finally sold it - these old cars will go forever if you take care of them."  The other mechanic - the one on the right side of the tracks - didn't even have time to look at the car and make a guess at what might be wrong with it when he heard it was a 1994 model.

We also liked "wrong-side-of-the-tracks" mechanic later that day, when we drove up in our family vehicle, ready to make the long trek back home.  It had been making a continually louder and louder noise the day before as we drove farther and farther south.  Nate wondered if perhaps this small-town guy could tell him if it was serious or not. The mechanic said sure, he could listen to it and give us an idea of what might be causing it.

He crawled under it with a stick (I kid you not - it resembled a long, skinny baseball bat.)  Moments later, after holding his stick up in the motor while it was running, he clambered back out from underneath the vehicle and said, "You'll be okay - but you probably don't want to use your A/C, because the compressor is going bad and will probably lock up on it pretty soon."

Wow - that fast? No "come back later," or no computer hook-up analysis?  And the best part? (Well - not from a pocketbook standpoint.) The guy was RIGHT.  Just last week, on a warm day - Nate forgot the Arkadelphian's advice and turned on the A/C for the kids in the backseat who were complaining of being hot.  And the A/C locked up - smoke, sparks and all.  I tell you what - it made me a believer.

Call me nostalgic, but I'll choose Gomer Pyle with a stick any day over a city mechanic with a computer.

October Fulfillments

I believe I can honestly say October is my favorite month of the year.  I absolutely, positively and completely love autumn.  Along with the comforting temperatures and rewarding fall beauty...our family has experienced some fulfilling October moments this year.

Nate's 10th mission trip with EMI as well as building a home with Extreme Home Makeover in Joplin, our 4th trip within 5 years time to the Renaissance festival in Kansas City, kids camping out with grandparents, college visits in Arkansas, and many other little highlights...

One highlight occurred when our two youngest children and I followed Nate to Springfield, MO for three days.  He attended the Tri-State surveyors' convention again this year.  He never goes to those unless he's needing his PDU's to keep his license current, since sitting through three days of lectures that he's heard several times before is NOT his style.  But the kids and I enjoyed some fun stuff, and he joined in the fun whenever he had a break.

Thus, Josiah, Jessie and I spent some time exploring Springfield.  One fun place was a retro arcade hangout that Nate and I enjoy...1984.  It's tagline, "The best thing since 1983," makes me smile.  Nate and I both graduated high school in 1983, and although most of the arcade games in the place were ones we never played, it somehow makes us feel a little more youthful to walk in there and challenge each other to an intense game of Qbert (especially since I ALWAYS win that one.)  Jessie and Josiah loved it, even though mom and dad were actually beating them most of the time - something that rarely happens when we're challenging them to the video games of their generation.

One of the funniest things Josiah said during our time in Springfield had nothing to do with 1984, Bass Pro World or any other fun place we visited.  We were simply walking into the hotel, and Josiah saw his daddy pull the room key card out of his wallet.  Josiah's quick glance and sharp mind made him exclaim, "Wow, how many hotel room keys do you have in there?!"

Dave Ramsey would be so proud to know that Nate's wallet is filled with room keys rather than credit cards.

Speaking of proud - October has brought some incredible opportunities to Nate that make it hard for me not to be extremely proud of my hubby.  First, it was a week in Nicaragua, successfully serving on another EMI mission team.  Next, he volunteered and was selected to go to Joplin on Oct. 19 and 20 to be a part of Extreme Home Makeover's Joplin Build project - building seven homes in seven days.  He'll be serving on the carpentry and framing crew for home #3.

Oh yes, I am SO very excited to see him sportin' that hardhat!  I only wish I could be there at the conclusion, to help shout, "Move that bus!"  What a rewarding day that will be for the seven families, as well as for the thousands of volunteers that play a small part in it.

Last but not least...I'm looking forward to taking three high school seniors to Arkansas at the end of October, to visit two wonderful colleges.  One of those colleges has been the residence of our 22 year-old for the past 3 1/2 years...it will be so good to have an excuse to spend a little time with her.

Sharing life with family and serving others...all of this random activity somehow has seemed a little more gratifying during this radiant and glorious month of October.

"But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create..."  --Isaiah 65:18a

That's Just the Pits...Isn't It?

"Do everything without complaining or arguing." -Phil. 2:14
That has got to be one of the most challenging and difficult verses in the Bible for me.  After all, when I've got problems, I'm just SURE that other people should know about them, because they'll certainly want to feel sorry for me, won't they?  My problems are just as bad and probably worse than anyone else's around me, right?

There's the kicker that usually shuts my mouth from continuing the grumbling.  For every terrible situation that'd I'd love to complain about...I can always think of someone who's dealing with a tougher struggle.

My complaints about our net income dropping into the depths of the poverty level last year sound lifeless when there are so many unemployed people around me with NO income. My griping about that old lady that despises my pastor/husband is insignificant, when I consider what an amazing husband I've been blessed with, no matter what she thinks of him.  Perhaps she's never known the joys of having a loving and committed husband, and so she takes it out on others.

You get the idea.  Sure, we've all got issues and problems that can get us down, overwhelm us and cause us to grumble.  However, isn't everyone dealing with problems and struggles?

"But," you may say, "Their problems or your problems are nothing like mine - you can't understand how terribly difficult this is!"

No, I can't.  Likewise, you can not understand my troubles.  Who am I to assume that I've got it worse than you do...and vice versa?

C.S. Lewis put it rather bluntly: “Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others... but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God 'sending us' to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE hell unless it is nipped in the bud. ” 

Thus, I will do my best to heed Mr. Lewis' advice and "nip it in the bud."  I'll bite my tongue for the umpteenth time and remember that when Paul said "everything," he really did mean everything...and for a good reason.