Ones, please

7:30 p.m. Today's project was to park my Jeep on a side street before 7 a.m. because the City of Riverside was to put down the sticky black tar called "slurry" on my side of our street today between 7 and 5 p.m. So I put Steve back in bed from his unexpected early awakening, whipped on my shirt and jeans, grabbed the extra car key and my glasses, and had my car parked across the street by 6:09 a.m. Due notice was given to us last week, so I followed suit yesterday by calling the Riverside Special Senior and Disabled Transportation bus service in case the "right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing," to make arrangements for Steve to be picked up and dropped off just around the corner on Canyon Crest Drive.  I just love to organize matters--guess it's that gift of administration kicking in!

Riverside has a large variety of services and departments, and is now emphasizing the arts, such as the presentations offered in the renovated Fox Theater pictured above. We have been using the Spec. Trans. bus system to take Steve to Care Connexxus for months now, and have generally been satisfied with them. Of course, there was the tempest in a teapot that brewed when the driver, who picks Steve up all the time and was normally a bit flexible, was told not to give us change for a five, nor to accept a lot of coins. Steve actually had to get off the bus, poor guy.  Being a veteran of local politics, I was not shy about calling our very supportive mayor. He was outraged! I had apologies from every department head in short order, and suffice it to say that the "spirit of the law" is going to be emphasized over "the letter of the law," especially with disabled and senior riders from now on.

Now in the spirit of Romans 13:1, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities," and not to be a bad witness or appearing to take advantage of the mayoral rebuke, I make sure to have two one-dollar bills handy for each direction. I also need dollar bills for the shared expense of our Mary Kay unit meetings, a very reasonable $3.00 per consultant and $1 per guest, to fund the facial and makeover supplies we all use. So I need either $3 or $4 (or more) weekly, depending on the number of guests I have. We do make change, but I get there early to help set up before other attendees arrive.

Problem is, I may not have calculated all of those "ones" correctly, and find myself in a situation like this morning when I checked my wallet before coming downstairs and AAAAAH! I only had 3 dollar bills and some change. I asked our renter if he had a quarter or two and he had a dime, I rifled through every junk drawer and pocket, and was still at a total of $3.45 (and I really hated to put 55 pennies in a baggie)! That would get Steve onto the bus, but with a full day of appointments ahead of me, I had to make sure the caregiver who would meet Steve's returning bus had her $2.00 also.

Now think of this: my car is already across the street, when the caregiver says, "Dana, I think they already started." But there was no heavy equipment noise; I think he just saw the darkened half of the street finished yesterday. So after Steve got on the bus, I got ready---quite the perfecting process for a beauty consultant! and took off for Ralphs down the hill. I was just getting in line for change for a $5 bill when Cara returned my call to pray. Thanked the checker, got in the car, and we prayed hands-free on my way back up the hill and after I re-parked on the neighboring street. Is this a normal day for me? Yes, actually, minus the street paving!

I am so glad that my day begins with devotions--reading my scripture portion, posting a scripture, and writing in both personal and business journals to the Lord!Where would I be without Him? What confidence would I have that all will go as it should in the midst of not only Steve's worsening disability but the aggravations and irritations of life on this planet? None--I would have headed back to bed this morning if I had not had the encouragement of the Word and shared prayer with a sister!

Psalm 27, a chapter I have been posting verse-by-verse on Facebook the last week, is a prayer of faith in the midst of asking God for help. Naturally, this morning both computers froze, so I had to use my smartphone to post. In verse 9b it says,

You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.

And far from experiencing a day of continuing disaster, I had one of the most successful days in my business that I've had in the last month, action-and blessing-packed, moving rapidly toward my career goal and helping other women build their own businesses. Steve enjoyed his day's activities and was let off the bus safely, despite the street slurry. Finally, we had a good dinner together and relaxed, enjoying one another's company. 

The world, the flesh and the devil will try to throw us off course, and days can start out rough, as I'm sure you know from experience! But God has His children in His hands, and He will generate the best of results for each one of us!!!

Don't lose heart, believer! To paraphrase Psalm 27: 13, (italics mine) you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!