Moore Part 2 of 5

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend in Moore, OK doing disaster relief work with Convoy of Hope.  The only internet access I had was on my phone, so I journaled on notebook paper.  Finally having a chance to type it all out.  I will post each day's entry separately.

FRIDAY, May 24th

What a day today has been!!! 

So that I wouldn't have to do it on my way out of town, I left my house earlier than normal to drop Maggie at the kennel before school.  I am SO glad that I did.

At lunch I signed out and ran home (which is about twenty minutes both ways).  I had twenty minutes to grab my luggage at home and pick up balloons at the party store for a retirement reception next week.  I stopped at my apartment first and as I hurriedly got out of my car that sinking feeling, deep in my gut, hit me...

I'd locked my keys in my car!

Now I'm not the type of person that does this on a consistent basis. I have actually only locked my keys in my car two other times in the fifteen years I've been driving.  I tried not to panic.  I had my cell phone in one hand and house keys in the other, so decided to head upstairs and make a plan.  I remembered that I had another keyless entry pad in my apartment and quickly began hunting for it.  I was ecstatic when I found it, thankful I'd have time to do what needed to be done and be able to get back to school before my next class.

All my excitement drained when I went back to my car, discovering that the battery to the keyless entry pad was dead.  There is an O'Reilly Auto store a little less than a mile from my apartment.  I called my school secretary and my teaching team to let them know the situation (they were great and very understanding).  I grabbed a check pad from my apartment, and started walking to the parts store.  Those of you that know me, know that I don't handle 'kinks' very well, but I refused to break down as I made the jaunt across the busy highway.  

Hot and sweaty, I found the battery and checked out.  The guy took my check and put it in his electronic scanner and then asked for my ID.  I should probably interject that while I was waiting in line, he heard me on the phone tell the whole story.  I gave him my license number and date-of-birth, but he insisted on a photo ID.  Frustrated I re-told the story and explained that my purse was locked in my car as well, offering to show him a photo ID via my phone.  With a harsh tone he stood his ground and refused to take my check.  I rolled my eyes and stomped out.  Once outside, I broke down and cried.

Auto Zone was just up the road, so I got my act together and I decided to try them.  Before even locating the batteries, I explained my situation and asked if they would take my check.  They were super nice and agreed.  I came out feeling much better, especially since a friend picked me up so I wouldn't have to walk back home.

We got back to my car only to discover that the keyless entry pad didn't work, even with a new battery.  It's never been used; in fact, it still has the dealer tag with it on the key loop.  I still can't figure out why it wouldn't work.      

While my friend started looking for a number for a locksmith, I went back up to my apartment in a last ditch effort to find the spare key I was so sure I had.  I grabbed all the spare keys in my junk drawer and went back down to try them, tears of defeat in my eyes.  I tried all the keys in my hand before getting to the last, long, slender one.  It was the key that looked just like my brother's truck key, and I commented to my friend that I saw this one before walking to the parts store, but knew it was Caleb's so didn't try it.  I explained that the only reason I was trying it now was for peace of mind.  As she started telling me the locksmith's rates, I put the key in and it UNLOCKED my car.  I literally cried tears of joy!

By this time my class was starting and I still had to drive back, so I  left without getting the things I'd come for.  All I could do was cry thinking of how sweaty and nasty I was from the walk and how it was going to be four grueling days before I had a good shower.  

Unfortunately the drama didn't stop there.  When I got back to school I tried to add a new CD to my iPod.  Without explanation it went from working perfectly to corrupt in minutes.  Long story short, I HAD 74GB of music on my iPod when I had to do a factory reset.  I have 64GB of that music on my computer, so I have permanently lost 10GB of music.  The sheer amount of music I own should denote how much I value music and indicate just how devastating this situation was.  When trying to re-sync the iPod to add the 64GB back, it locked up.  

My. Breaking. Point.

After this blow, I decided that taking a shower before leaving was a MUST, so that's exactly what I did once I was done with class.  While getting my stuff together and getting ready, I tried to sync my iPod and add back the music that was still on my computer.  After being home for an hour I gave up and hit the road.  I am praying that it will be fixable when I return home next week.

The trip up was uneventful, thank the Lord!  I was able to catch up with my good friend, Chelsea, on the phone.  Our conversation really helped me calm down and put everything into perspective.  I spent the last hour of the drive listening to old hymns and preparing my heart for the weekend ahead.  

When I arrived, I discovered that "Hurricane Nancy" and I would be working together.  I'll write more about her later, as it's getting late, but she is truly one of my living heroes and I'm so excited that I'll have the privilege to work alongside her again.

This was a most welcomed sight at the end of a long day...

I was asked today if I thought that perhaps I wasn't supposed to go to Moore this weekend.  My response?  "I don't have that feeling. If anything, today's complications make me think the devil is fighting my being there, which confirms that I am supposed to go."

Now that I am here, I see just how insignificant my woes of the day are, especially my desire for a shower.  So many have lost so much and I was fixated on how I looked, smelled and mostly felt about my appearance.  It's in moments like these that I realize just how far I still have to go to be the person I desire to be.

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and start serving the people of Moore!  My prayer, as I end this stressful day, is that God will...open my eyes to see what He sees...give me insight and wisdom...and use me to be His arms extended.

Thursday's entry can be read here: Moore Part 1 of 5.


10,000 Reasons