Seeing through the blinding snow
The plane barreled down the runway and disappeared in a cloud of white blurriness - it's definitely where faith is tested. I've learned not to hang on too tightly. There were so many mix-ups yesterday with her flight. When we arrived at the airport at 2 p.m., they told us her flight had left at 10:30 a.m. that morning. Frustration set in as we delved into the situation to see what had happened. A few determined arguments later, we had her on a flight for the next day.
As we went to confirm this change, lots of people were milling around in the same situation as us. We soon realized that a flight was still taking off to Atlanta, and if she could get on it, would have to stay overnight at the ATL airport. She looked at me and said, "Mom, what would you do?"
As a mom, you know what you would do now, but she had asked me what I would've done at her age. I told her, "You know what Belle, I would go for it. Better to get you out of here before more snow flies." She grinned and ran over to the ticket counter and changed the flight.
Funny how you see things one way as a mother, but realize that sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind – and throw your child up to God! She was going to get back to college, snow or not, and would do it anyway possible. The flight was already boarding, so we hugged a tight hug, said the I-Love-You's, and off she ran through security. This left me sitting in the parking lot, watching for her plane to take off in the blinding snow. As I saw her fly away, even though the thread of love still stretched tautly, I realized that even though she makes most of her own decisions now, she still needs mine now and then. Maybe it's not outright advice I need to give, but more of a confirmation of what I know she wants to do, with a slight nudge of what she should do. It's that fluttering feeling of letting her go.
I drove away, snow piling up on the road, knowing I had a long way home. I felt so good inside that she was on her way back to her new life.
I had a moment on the way home from that airport run, in the snow, made my resolve stronger. Resolve to push through whatever life gives us. I was making my way home from the airport, snow bursting from the sky. I crept along I-77, made my way onto SR 30 and finally onto SR 62 into Holmes County.
As I hit the county line, though, I could tell the roads were worse here and more snow had fallen. This is where the rolling hills of our county don't really look so lovely! I made my way down the hills and prepared to climb Seven Lick Hill – the worst of all. I was using my husband's vehicle, which does not have 4-wheel drive. I said a prayer and gunned it.
Just that second, three cars started coming down the hill, and I had to slow down. They passed me, and just after they passed, I slid off the road – right into a driveway! I'm not a scared driver. Snow does not scare me. As I sat there, though, in the driveway, I wasn't sure what to do.
I put my head on the wheel and prayed. God told me to back out and just go. I wondered how in the world I was going to back out and make it up the hill when I couldn't even make it up going a decent speed. But, I obeyed. I backed out and slowly, very slowly at about 2 mph, I crept up the hill, sliding sideways the whole way. I think God pulled me up that hill. Even though I wanted to give up, He wouldn't let me. I made it home on the worst roads imaginable. My life and ambitions are no different. It would be easy to slip into a parking space and just idle there, scared to move on. God won't let me do that, though. He's prodding me on, and I refuse to stop pushing!
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places." ~Author Unknown~