Appearances - Fact or Fiction?

Life does not always look like what I think it should. In fact, it often does not turn out the way I think it should. I know this is nothing new or earth shattering to think about but this is what is striking me tonight as I sit here in my pj's, hanging out with my sister in law and musing upon life these past few weeks.

Often I look at the appearances of what is and think I have the facts all figured out. Life is black and white and this is just the way things are. But then I take a step back and figure out that what I have been seeing is simply fiction. The fact of the matter is something completely different.

I am not even sure that what I will write about in these next few paragraphs will even come close to tying in with what I have just written, but at least that is a thought for the day!

Another little look into the psyche of Rachel (just beware the journey ...)

To give a little life update for all those wondering about my car: well, it definitely is not with me at the moment. I kept having more and more problems with it while I was in Montana. One day I was driving down the road at a good clip (the speed limit IS 70 after all) and it just died. Totally and completely died. It lost all the RPMs and my powering steering locked up. Needless to say, I was not the most happy person at the moment. I pulled over to the side and put it in park and then shut everything off. (which normally is the magical fix!) But alas, not so much. It kept cranking and cranking but not running.

So I hung up on my best friend and called Ted (thank goodness my family talked me into getting a cell phone and that I was actually on part of the road that has service ... welcome to montana!).

He came to look at it and found nothing wrong (of course). He was just going to help me push it to the side of the road but when I went to turn it to on and put it in neutral it started right up (of course). So, we drove into town and took it to the repair shop. The mechanic does not have a computer that is up to date enough to work on my car but he did do a couple of tests. He found nothing wrong (of course). So I drove off and prayed hard that my car would stay strong.

The more and more I talked with people and prayed about it the less and less comfortable I felt taking my car on the long long journey across North Dakota and all around the state of Minnesota. And also, after much hemming, hawing, and other thinking, it was decided that the most likely culprit of my car problems is my fuel pump. It was a bit stressful to think of coming up with the $300 plus needed for that along with getting ready for my trip. Since I didn't have the funds and Ted didn't have the time an alternate solution was needed!

But the Lord provides and takes care of us. This fall my friend Elisha has been out at camp off and on and it just so turns out that his off time coincides with my off time. Coincidentally his off time was going to take place in Minnesota, which is where my off time was going to take place. Voila! God provides a way where there seems to be no way (have fun singing that song all night - you know it's in your head now!).

Not only was he nice enough to give me a ride home (and cleaning out some of his stuff so I could bring all my junk!) BUT he was nice enough to let me use his car while I'm home as he will not have a need for it. Once again God blows me away with His foresight and generosity (and of course Eli's generosity! it took an extra level of trust with him as his car is a stick shift and while of course I have learned to drive a stick shift as any good farm girl should, it is not my, shall we say, most developed skill).

So here I am, in Colorado. (bet you didn't expect me to say that state did you??) Life is coming at me from the left and the right and the up and the down. But the journey is always the most fun isn't it?