Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Jehovah Jireh

God is my provider. I know I need to update with pictures and tales from our trip to Cheyenne and Colorado Springs, but something more pressing happened as the girls and I packed up to leave the Air Force Academy yesterday morning. There are plenty of moving parts on the trailer, some to get us hitched, some to make living areas larger, some to stabilize us when we camp, and one very important moving piece that helps me get hitched up to the truck - the tongue jack. This is the part on the very front of the trailer chassis that raises and lowers the tongue of the trailer to level us while parked, and to lower the trailer onto the ball of the hitch so I can pull the entire rig.

Yesterday morning, the internal screw for the tongue jack died. By God's grace it did not break until the very last second of hitching up, so we were physically able to move. However, without the tongue jack, I could not unhitch to go sightsee in our last two stops (Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park). The gentleman in the site next to us kindly came over to see if he could help, but it was not repairable. So, I began calling around to see what could be done.

Most places all I could do was leave a voice mail message. No one was answering their phones. Those who did answer could fit me in for a service call - the first or second week in JUNE!!! ARGH. The campground on the USAFA did have phone numbers for two mobile repairmen, one would be able to help me after dinnertime, and the other said that he didn't carry the jack in stock, but would be willing to help me put one on if I purchased it.

Of course, I was a dummy, and tried to solve this myself - as I was getting nowhere on the phone, my frustration was growing. Finally, at the end of my rope I remembered my "secret power" - prayer. This should have been the first thing I did, but I'm still growing and tend to try and do things my way first. I got down on my knees in the doorway of the trailer, bowed my head and asked God to work it out and to forgive me for trying to run the show myself.

How awesome it would be to say "then the phone rang and my problems were solved." Yet, God doesn't always work in those ways. However, after praying, MY attitude was improved and I was ready to follow instead of trying to lead.

The girls and I headed south to a Camping World, and upon arrival we were told that there was no way they could fit us in for a service call. However, Mike told me to check around the corner with the service manager, Phil, as he would have a better idea how long the fix would actually take. Phil skipped his lunch to help arrange the repair for the jack, Lonnie took his time to do the repair, and now I am the proud owner of an electric jack! No more manual cranking for me - I get to push a button now.

It was a long day, we didn't leave Colorado Springs until almost 3pm, and didn't arrive at the KOA in Moab, UT until midnight. Sugar and caffeine are fabulous to help keep one going, but they sure do upset my stomach that late at night. :)

The girls and I are taking it easy this morning, and we'll tour some of the Arches this afternoon. I have an honest to goodness wireless connection here, not my cell phone this time, so hopefully I can update with photos of getting to ride horses at Kraig's sisters place and other various adventures we've had. I just had to journal to remind myself how the Lord does provide for me in such tangible ways.

2 comments:

EEEEMommy said...

You blogged the most important thing!

Leslie said...

What a cool post! Thank you for the reminder, and for pointing to the Lord. I too struggle with trying to do things on my own and then turning to prayer as a last resort: "Well, all I can do now is pray", when it should have been the first thing!

Enjoy Moab--it's gorgeous there!