Let Me Tell You

by Donna Poole

Let me tell you about our vacation last week.

We were once again on our way to the small hardware store in Nashville, Indiana.

“I’m sorry you aren’t getting the nice vacation I wanted for you, honey,” I said to John.

It started when we couldn’t get reservations at Brown County, our favorite Indiana campground. We went somewhere else the first night and arrived well after dark because of camper repairs John had to make before we could leave. As he struggled to back the camper into our site, a group of retired people sitting around a campfire across from us laughed jeeringly.

“And now the entertainment begins!” one of them said.

People can be so mean.

We arrived at the next campground while it was still light, and John had an easy time backing in.

“What is that big fenced in area right behind our camper?”

John laughed. “Airport.”

The trains we heard all night were even louder than the planes. John only slept a few hours anyway. He was up researching how to fix the wiring on a camper because we had no electricity. We discovered the next morning it wasn’t our camper; it was a faulty electric box at our site.

An exhausted John drove us on to Brown County. He’d tried to get our favorite remote site when he’d made reservations, but it was occupied. The only places available were in a crowded area, not our favorite way to camp, but at least we’d be at our beloved Brown County.

I’d prayed for sunny weather; it rained every day, sometimes non-stop. I’d asked for a restful time for my tired husband; instead, he had to fix something daily on our old truck or on ancient Bertha, our 1988 fifth wheel. I’m sure you don’t want me to bore you with the list of things he had to do, and some he spent hours on turned out to be unfixable.

I learned long ago that God is not a glorified Santa. He doesn’t give us everything we request. He gives us what we need, and when we don’t agree with Him, we better be the ones who change. I also learned that God sends blessings with every burden.

We met a few earth angels on vacation. You remember the people who laughed at John trying to back in the camper in the dark? John heard a quiet voice at his truck window. It wasn’t one of them.

“Like some help? A little more to the left. Now straighten it out. A bit more to the right. Okay, you’ve got it. Just go back about three feet.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Think nothing of it. People help me and I like to help them.”

People can be so kind.

God sent another earth angel too. John bought a part to repair the truck, and he’s pretty handy, but he’d never done this before.

Before he left for town to pick up the part I said, “Honey, see if you can find a garage to help you put it on.”

He wasn’t sure; he didn’t want to spend the money, but he agreed to try. He found a tiny garage.

“Could you put this part on for me?”

“I’d really like to help you out, but I’m swamped today. I just can’t.”

“Okay. Well thanks anyway.” John started back to the truck.

“Wait, Let’s see. What do you have there?”

John showed him the part.

“That won’t take long. I’ll do it for you.”

When he finished, John asked, “What do I owe you?”

“Oh, just give me ten bucks.”

Earth angel!

John gave him twenty.

There were more blessings. I was recovering from chemo number six and couldn’t stay awake, but I didn’t have to worry about John getting bored. He didn’t have time to do that!

The hospital called the day before we left to go camping and warned me that my numbers were low. I had to be careful of infection, avoid all public restrooms and couldn’t eat any takeout food. A tiny country store in the area makes delicious cinnamon rolls. John didn’t want to get them because he thought they would make me hungry. I assured him they wouldn’t; I was having to force myself to eat anything, and I love the backroads drive to that store. It’s an awesome drive through the Indiana hills. They call that area the Little Smokies.

We picked a morning when John wasn’t repairing something and headed for the store. John came back out laughing. “They didn’t make the rolls today. But they said they’ll have them tomorrow.”

“We’ll come back! The rolls can be your treat, and this beautiful drive can be mine!”

And we did go back, in the pouring rain yet again, and the drive was beautiful, and we were together.

I never finished what I started to say in this article. I’ll finish it now and you’ll see why I say John is the best earth angel I met on the trip.

We were once again on our way to the small hardware store in Nashville, Indiana.

“I’m sorry you aren’t getting the nice vacation I wanted for you, honey,” I said to John.

“What are you talking about? I’m having a wonderful time!”

This? This after crawling under wet things and getting cold and muddy and spending hours trying to fix things that couldn’t be fixed and being the hardware store’s best customer and getting no down time at all?

“Stop quick! Pull this truck over! Fast!”

He stepped on the brakes. “What’s wrong? Are you going to be sick?”

“I’m fine, but I’m getting out! I don’t ride in trucks with crazy people!”

I do ride with an earth angel though; he takes me to check ups and blood work and tests and chemo appointments. He took me to my last chemo yesterday. I hope I have many more years to backroads travel with him and all the many earth angels in my life.

My next PET scan is December 3 and I see the doctor for results December 7. I’m praying Morticia has exited my lungs and then I’ll hang up a NO vacancy sign so she doesn’t think of returning. I’m smiling and hopeful. God is not a glorified Santa. But whatever the news, God is good.

This cancer journey took me down a backroad I never expected to travel, but I have seen some beautiful things and met some wonderful people. Thank you for traveling it with me!