By Linda Beck
Forty-seven boxes … over 14,000 greeting cards … nearly $600 mailing costs … what could we do? Two local businesses had given our ministry their unsold Christmas cards, and my daughter and her family had brought most of them to my house.
About a dozen of us got together to prepare these cards for shipping. The boxes had been stacked in my dining/living room for over a month. My house was beginning to look like a warehouse instead of a little dollhouse.
I discovered that the organization “Give 2 the Troops” in Greenville, N.C., had storage space and could keep the boxes until time to send the Christmas cards to our soldiers.
My neighbor, Donna, and I decided to take our vehicles to deliver the boxes. Even with the high costs of gasoline, we believed that would be the thing to do. I had discovered a Christian Women’s Club in Greenville, and they needed a speaker, so I could “kill two birds with one stone.”
Everything went smoothly on the trip over. Donna was in the lead with her GPS, and I followed her like a little puppy. I had been curious about how this organization handled the boxes on some occasions when we shipped to them instead of directly to Iraq. It is a large building with cubicles and tables for sorting and packing. They send 400 boxes a month to our servicemen. We learned that they would open the boxes and put so many cards in individual zip-lock bags and every soldier will receive a bag of miscellaneous items. (The organization always needs and appreciates gifts of all size zip-lock bags or money to purchase them.) Volunteers work three days a week preparing shipments.
Donna and I left to eat and then went to our hotel. After we got there, Donna had some minor problems with her SUV but was able to fix them. Unfortunately, she then locked her keys in the SUV. We had to call a locksmith, but fortunately my new AAA insurance covered that.
We thought everything was ready for a peaceful night in a nice handicapped motel room. When I had to get up during the night to go to the bathroom, I was so sleepy I must not have gotten completely back in the bed. I woke up in tremendous pain, with my legs wrapped in the cover hanging off the bed. Awakened by my moans and groans, Donna helped me get completely in the bed and the remainder of the night went just fine.
Tuesday morning, we went straight to the Country Club for lunch, and then I was the speaker. The microphone did not work properly and I thought I did the worse presentation I have ever done for Christian Women’s Club.
We started home and problems went with us! Donna messed up about three times when she was listening to her GPS and even once we ended up on a dead end street in a housing development. I came very close to having several accidents. The last time was when I had to turn and slam on the brakes. My left front brake started smoking, and the odor was horrific.
We drove very slowly to the first open business. They told us there was a repair shop a few miles up the road but it might already be closed.
The left front caliper had locked and the front pad had burned. One of the lug nuts was very difficult to remove, which required extra time. It ended up only costing $265. It could have cost much more because the mechanics worked three and a half hours past closing time. Had they not been willing to do that, it would have been very difficult to get my scooter and me to a hotel to stay overnight. God sent three angels to help us with the van problems!
I got so tired and sleepy driving that we had to stop twice so I could take short power naps. We finally arrived in my driveway at midnight.
Did we make the right decision? Maybe, maybe not. I should have solicited financial help in mailing the boxes. Donna and I would have certainly enjoyed the trip more if we had only needed one vehicle. I think we learned some valuable lessons. I certainly have to admit it is not safe for me to travel alone anymore.
I have no intention, however, of allowing Satan to keep me from the mission God has given me. My daughter had dreamed I was in a terrible accident, but God was our pilot and He brought us home safely.
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Linda Beck is an author, speaker and free-lance writer living in Woodleaf. Email: lindainthecards@gmail.com.