In my late twenties Jaime and I lived in the gorgeous mountains of Western North
Carolina close to my father’s family. We lived with one of my Aunts while we were getting
settled in the area. Most mornings I walked Jaime to the end of the driveway so she could catch
the school bus, then I would sit on the front porch, drink a cup of coffee, and watch the sun come
up over the mountain. It was big, bright, and seemed close enough to touch. Breathtaking.
We were leaving on Thursday to take a trip back home. My sister was getting married in
a few months. Jaime and I were both attendants in her wedding and it was time for a dress fitting.
I waitressed tables a few nights a week and on this particular Wednesday, it was pouring
rain when I pulled in the driveway. Just before I turned off the car my wipers stopped wiping. I
tried turning them off and on several times, to no avail. The wiper motor was dead.
I sat in the car for a moment contemplating my next move. Jaime and I were to leave the
next morning. I had no time to rent or borrow another car. It never occurred to me to cancel our
trip.
I am not a worrier by nature which I know is a gift from God. So, I did what I have done
most of my life, I bowed my head and prayed to God for help. I told Him that I was not going to
worry about this, I knew there was an answer. I would go inside, tuck Jaime in for the night, go
to bed, get a good night’s sleep (another gift He has given me), and see what the morning would
bring.
The next morning I awoke before the alarm with a fix that would allow us to travel home,
almost five hundred miles each way. I got dressed, headed to the barn, and found a roll of twine.
I tied two lines to each end of each wiper and left enough twine so that one end went to my side
and the other to Jaime’s side.
I went back inside to get cleaned up, fix breakfast, and get Jaime ready to hit the road. I
told her what happened with the wipers and when she saw the fix exclaimed, “I hope it rains!”
I took the back roads as much as possible. I knew it would be easier to pull off the side of
the road going through the small towns rather than trying to find an exit off the interstate. Several
times I stopped along the way to use a pay phone as cell phones were not yet a thing.
I phoned home to let my parents know where I was and how we were doing. Each time I
asked my Dad what the weather was like. He would say, “Just fine. It might rain later but looks
good now.”
The third time I stopped to phone home and asked my Dad what the weather was like he
asked, “Why are you so worried about the weather?”
I told him what happened to my wipers. I told him how I fixed the problem just in case it
rained. I can hear his response to me all these years later. He said, “Nothing ever gets you down.
No matter what happens to you, you will find a way to work it out and keep going.”
I told him God deserved the credit. My Dad’s words meant so much to me that day. I had
not given it much thought before, but he was right. Things might not always go my way, but I
will not let bad circumstances keep me down. Those words served me well as I watched my
daughter struggle with addiction.
How about you? How do you overcome adversity?
