It had been an interesting afternoon. I'd driven home in record time from a boutique in Mission Viejo, a wealthy community in South Orange County where I'd been invited to show my Mary Kay gift and cosmetic line. Within a mile from my house, white smoke started spewing from under the Jeep's hood! I called our mechanic as I was stopped at our corner. He agreed to check it out on his way home. Psalm 57:1 summarizes my state of mind at 3:15:
Be merciful to me, O God, be
merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings
I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have
passed by.
Not only did the Lord allow me to get home, but our trustworthy, believing friend was available and willing to come and check out the situation!! God is so good! So I spent some time with Steve hanging a few ornaments on the tree, and changed into "cocktail" attire, a nice black dress I didn't think I'd still fit into, and awaited our mechanic's verdict. When he looked under the hood, the answer was simple: the lid to the coolant tank had popped off, and fluid had been hitting the hot underside of the closed hood, thus the smoke! He figured, and I confessed, to not screwing the cap on straight, or all the way, the last time I added fluid a few days ago.
I told him that I am officially not allowed to be near any mechanical equipment, whether a sewing machine or a car, but things being what they are, I have to service my car now. I gave him a nice MK Men's gift set for a Christmas appreciation. He's been faithfully helping us all year.
Heather picked me up, we posed for a few pictures in our swanky black dresses, and headed off to the theater. I reflected that in times past as an elected official and member of charitable and civic groups, I attended many public events looking to see who I could see and talk to, because their re-election or mine would be around the next corner, or my Junior League committee was involved. The Lord allowed me to serve the city and school district faithfully for almost 20 years and gave me a stellar witness, reputation, and "favor with all the people" (as with the Church in Acts 2:47b). But tonight, as I watched my daughter move smoothly through the crowd, introducing herself as representing the Senator, and me as her mom, she knew (or knew more currently) more people there than I did! I did receive greetings from a judge and his wife, and some key patrons of the theater, but there was no purpose in mind for me other than to be gracious and enjoy the evening.
To my delight and motherly pride, I got the answer as to who inherited the civic, social and political gene of my five kids. It is, hands down, "mini-me," my Heather. Lovely and poised, very impressive, but most of all, a godly young woman!
The two of us, Heather a former flutist and ballet dancer, and this violinist and singer, thoroughly enjoyed the ballet. Tchaikovsky is her favorite composer, but we both like "Sleeping Beauty" best of his ballets. The Riverside Ballet Arts company (where Heather trained) did a very good job, from the children to the principal dancers. And the reception hors d' oevres were tasty as well!
We returned in good time after a brisk walk in the cool air of busy downtown, blessed by a special mother-daughter event!
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