Saturday August 1 2015  “ALWAYS BE WILLING TO HELP”

What wonderful words to hear coming from the lips of a young man today when I asked him for his wisdom.  This young man is named Nolan.  His wisdom, “Always be willing to help”.  He is a biker who stopped in a little cooking house to refill three water bottles.  His mom and dad were also with him on their bicycles.  It was a hot day, bright sunshine, little breeze, and a glorious day to be outside.

I will finish Nolan’s story and how it affected me in a bit.  First I want to tell about what led up to me even meeting Nolan.  I was planning to go to the Intimacy Conference to hear Dr. Daniel Hammer speak again this morning.  Last’s nights presentation was very inspiring and well worth the time.  I noticed yesterday I was breaking out on my neck, chest and shoulders in a red bumpy, ugly rash.  Very itchy and burned.  I called my Doctor’s office and was told to come in so I did.  Of course it was right in the middle of Hammer’s speech time.  There was  no other time and I was miserable enough that I decided to go to the Doctor.  I was given a cream for this undiagnosed rash and went on my way.  I was already out in Oregon, about 6-8 miles away from home.  So I decided to go out to St. Vincent’s and pick up a throw rug to use in our back entrance while our “normal” rug was being dry cleaned.  So I drove down the country road that would take me to St. Vincent’s and then decided to just keep on going a block farther and stop at a favorite place I like to eat in a little town called Paoli, a little town in the middle of nowhere, like so many other Wisconsin towns.  It is a charming place with quaint little buildings that are original to the towns beginning.  Most of them being used for different purposes than originally intended.  I included a couple of pictures on the road into Paoli from Oregon (our “home” town).  I included a barn pic too.  Also included is a picture of the little place I like to eat called the Bread and Brat Place  The second building is only in part of the picture, a large two story structure that was intentionally part of the Mill house from years ago.  It is now an antique store.  When in town I enjoy going and look around.

It was a little bit more than just looking around today.  First I had lunch at the Brat place (a vegetarian grilled sandwich) and then went over to THE COTTAGE GODDESS to look around.  Low and behold, amidst all the clutter of beautifully displayed artifacts was a glass topped table with a base like I’ve never seen before.  It was amazing.  Since we passed down our heirloom dining room set to our son and his wife, we have been tableless in our formal eating area.  I’ve had my heart set on a round glass table but didn’t like any of the styles I have seen in resale shops.  I pretty much only buy resale items.  I like to recycle too!  Well, there it was sitting a pretty as you please, covered with dust and dirt and dishes and a stacking tray full to the top with do-dads of every unimaginable kind.  Through the glass I saw a circular tray-like base that was just a bit smaller than the glass.  It was old and worn and had a beautiful patina of crusty metal with chipped paint fragments.  It was amazing.  It stands on one pedestal with a wide base that meets the floor.  I actually took a picture while in the store to send to Dave and I will post it below this blog.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Dave came over to the shop, had lunch first at the Brat house and then we bought the table.  It is about 46 inches in diameter.  I measured my car space and it would fit snug in the back of my little Kia.  With both cars there we decided to go ahead and take it home rather than get a truck and come back.  Well, one thing I didn’t take into consideration was the widest width in which to get the top into the back of my car.  It would not fit.  This is where Nolan comes in.

Nolan and his mom and dad were finishing up their lunch when it was time for us to carry the glass table top and metal base (fortunately they come apart) to the car.  I asked Nolan if he would be up to helping my husband get the table from the shop and help put it in the trunk.  No, he didn’t mind at all.  His dad Steve volunteered too.  God was good to us.  Well, it wasn’t an easy walk to the car, with narrow sidewalks, lots of people, steps, and gravel alongside the road.  Just one problem.  The table would not fit through the opening of the trunk.  It just would not fit!  They tried to get in through the back door and it still would not fit.  It just wouldn’t fit.  Nolan suggested we go through the front door of the car, lean the seats back in the front, get the HEAVY table top beyond the seats, raise the seats back up and set the table top down.  Sounds easy???  Maybe to an engineer.  We are talking about little space and no wiggle room to lift it back there.  Well, we agreed to give it a go perchance they  just might do it.  And they did it!  It was amazing!  It was easy to get the base loaded in Dave’s car because it was constructed to come apart.

The table base is actually a very old table designed to be the starter bed for tobacco plants and was made in Wisconsin many, many years ago.  So end of story!  WRONG!  We still had to get it out once we arrived home.  I can’t lift due to my recent surgery and the top is unwieldy, cumbersome, and slippery, not to mention, made of glass.

That’s when I asked Nolan what his wisdom is.  I think Nolan has a heart of gold.  “ALWAYS BE WILLING TO HELP” was his quick reply.  His smile was full of gold too, sincere and spontaneous.  That’s when I turned to his father, Steve, and asked for his wisdom.  This is what his father said, “My wisdom I learned from my son.  This is what my son has taught me, when you do something, do not give up, but rather look at all possibilities and continue trying until you have accomplished what you set out to do.”  WOW!  What a compliment for a father to give to his son.  They were a lovely family and I left their presence feeling blessed for having met them.  It is people like them that makes one realize that there is still good in this world and there truly are some wonderful people out there.  It makes me want to be an even better person, and as Nolan said, “Always be willing to help”.  Thank you Nolan for your help, both in brain and muscle.  His father told us “Nolan is an engineer”.  Hmmm…he is probably a very good one!

Well, half the battle was done.  Now how would we get it out once we arrived home?  I parked my car in the driveway pondering this dilemma.  I went into the house to start dinner and remembered I needed to check my phone messages because I was expecting a call from someone I did not know who forgot to pick up her chickens (dead ones) on Thursday when the food was delivered.  I had put them in the freezer because I didn’t want them to thaw out.  I contacted the farm and they told me the chickens were mine if they weren’t picked up.  That’s a lot of money for somebody to lose.  I asked the farm if they could give my number to the person and have them call me and I would hold them here until they could come.  So I checked my messages and this person had left a message.

A few minutes earlier when I arrived home Dave and I discussed how we would get these heavy objects (the base takes at least two strong men to carry) out of our cars.  I told Dave we needed another strong man and so I prayed right then and there and asked God to provide a strong man who would come over our house and help us unload.  Then I started dinner, remembered the phone call from the chicken lady, and gave her a call.  It just popped into my mind to say to Dave, hey maybe she has a strong man that will come over and help us in our obstacle course.  So I asked her.  I asked her if she had a man in her life who would help us unload a heavey table from our car when she came over to pick up her chickens.  She said she sure did and she would bring him. And she did.  His name was Dave too.  I have a lot of Dave’s in my life it seems.  He was a very strong built man, very likable, and very willing to help and follow our convoluted instructions as how that table top had to be taken out of our car.  If you heard me describing the possibility of doing what we had to do you would have probably thought I was crazy.  Oh well, you probably already do think I’m crazy.  At lease you may only THINK it, I KNOW I am.  It is actually a pretty fun way to live.  I just try to be crazy with wisdom.

We (I say that loosely) extracted this 46 inch glass tabletop out through a front door opening.  It was amazing.  We left the base out in the garage because I need to take a steel wool brush and do a little cleaning and debriding on the metal.  I have some fun plans for that table.  We don’t have any chairs yet but I have an idea I’m concocting.  I won’t reveal it just yet.

Is it not amazing how God hears the desires of our hearts, our prayers, and answers them so swiftly.  I thank God for my little chicken lady who came over and brought her strong man with her.  God is so good.  I invited them over to dinner when I get the table set up for use.  They said yes and they live just a couple of miles away.  I really do hope they will come.  I look forward to meeting them again.  Maybe then I’ll be able to reciprocate and do something nice for them.

So that was pretty much my day.  Oh, except for one thing.  I drove on into Verona (another one of those little towns), went to St. Vincent’s and bought a throw rug for my back door.  I also bought 4 more books I couldn’t live without.  One is a book by Zig Ziglar called “INSPIRATION 365 Days A Year”.  Since it is August 1^st I will give the inspiration for today’s date:  “MOUNTAINTOPS INSPIRE LEADERS BUT VALLEYS MATURE THEM.” Quote by J. Philip Everson.  There is a lot more wise sayings where that one comes from.  You’ll probably hear a few more before I am finished with the book.

Tomorrow is Sunday.  I love Sunday Sabbath.  Tomorrow is extra special because my friend Betts will be here in the evening.

MOUNTAIN TOPS AND VALLEYS

By Kathleen Maratens

August 1, 2015

When we are up and looking down

The world seems to wear no frown.

But when down and can’t dig out,

And our strength is no longer stout,

Those are time times when God reaches

Beyond the chasm to do His teachings.

He picks us up, dusts off the pain

And sets us on our course again.

He calls and beckons us to step ahead.

He provides daily that we are fed.

His Holy Scriptures our strength infuse

So our way we will not lose.

It is the time we will mature,

That His strength to us insures

That once again we will be,

On the Mountaintops that we see.

And once again we will inspire

Others to climb even higher.

For it is in the valley that we learn

It is the place our wisdom earned.

Good night!  It is only 10:11 p.m.  A bit better than last night.

Remember to tell God you love Him.  When you speak to God, he draws closer to you.