Things started to fall apart last week…
Perry and I were doing a planning meeting for the following week when he casually mentioned a business trip out of town. After I checked my call schedule and realized I wasn’t away from home any nights, I decided it would be no problem. But when we went to Auntie A to talk about the shifts in the schedule, she reminded us that she was going out of town for two days. Two days that he was planning to take off to stay home with the kids. Two days that he was now going to be in South Carolina. Big problem.
So when we went to midweek church, he asked one of the women who owns an in home day care if she’d be able to keep the kids for the two days he was out of town. She agreed immediately, and offered to keep them overnight so that I wouldn’t have to bring them at 5 am on the day I was on call at the hospital. Problem solved! Rescue #1…
Friday morning it started snowing. Snowing. In Georgia. Big, fat, white soggy flakes, falling from the sky like it’s Boston or something. Now look, I’m actually from Boston, so I’m not scared of snow. But this isn’t Boston. It’s Georgia, and everything comes to a screeching halt when it snows. Schools close, businesses close early, everyone gets emergency calls to pick up their kids, and there’s no food in the grocery stores. I hightailed it home and prayed for a quick resolution. See, I was scheduled to be on call at the hospital that weekend. In the best of situations, that means a 40 minute drive with no traffic. But this is Atlanta, so you can easily triple that drive on a normal day. And with ice… I didn’t know what I’d do, but I knew I was going to have to get to the hospital. No matter what. Here’s the deal: When you’re a doctor, there’s a kind of code of honor. You always show up to work. Unless you’re in the ICU (as a patient) or dying, you come to work. People need you! So, Perry and I salted and scraped the driveway and went to bed.
First thing in the morning I got up, meditated, did yoga, and packed the car. As soon as it was light, I bundled up, kissed the family goodbye and got on the road. It wasn’t too bad in our neighborhood, but the small streets before the interstate were a mess. Slowly, I made it to the hospital, safely. Rescue #2! I was scheduled to work with a midwife who was filling in for the first time with our group, so I didn’t know her or how this day would go. More about her later…
Most days I drive an 18 year old Camry. The kids call her Goldie (she’s gold, y’all). Goldie is pretty sturdy, but the battery light had been coming on and off recently. On the way home from the hospital, I drove by an auto parts place, who said the battery needed to be recharged, but otherwise all was well. I planned to run home and make chili for dinner, but when I called, Perry said that he thought we should go out for dinner, since I’d been working all day. We rarely do that, especially not on a Saturday night with the kids. Rescue #3!
Sunday morning went downhill fast. Perry and the kids were in the Christmas show at church and I was home preparing their dinner, since I was going to be back at the hospital overnight. They had to leave early and of course, they were running late. When they finally got out the door, I took a deep breath and sighed. Two minutes later, they were back. The door on the minivan was malfunctioning and they couldn’t drive it. So they reloaded the kids in the other two cars and left again, but this time, I had no car to get to the Christmas show. I couldn’t miss it – the kids were singing solos, but I wasn’t ready to go. So Perry planned to come back for me in an hour. We all got there, the kids sang and acted beautifully, and we headed home to drop the van at the mechanic. When we got home, the van door was working normally. Rescue #4!
Mine are the three trees and the wise woman in lavender…
A couple of hours later, I headed back down to the hospital. It was unusually quiet, so I made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up a few things. As I drove back to the hospital, the car started to stutter. When I made the turn into the entrance circle at the front of the women’s center, the car died. Just stopped. I was blocking the entrance to the patient drop off! Security came and helped me move the car into the space and I called AAA. Rescue #5!
After AAA came and determined that the alternator was shot and the car would have to be towed, I made plans to get it picked up in the morning. I called my partner who was taking over the next day and explained the situation. Now, I almost didn’t call her. I mean, this lady started our department almost 30 years ago, and she’s tough as nails. She’s one of those doctors who have seen it all and can do anything. I wasn’t sure she’d think to highly of me asking if she could come in a little early so I could ride back to my home county with my broken down car. But she immediately offered to come in whenever I needed, AND offered her spare truck to borrow if I needed it. Amazing!
At this point, I went to talk to my midwife (remember the one I mentioned earlier?). Come to find out, she lives about 10 minutes from my house. She offered to wait until I finished up in the morning and drive me home. Rescue #6 (or #7, or more depending on how you count)!
My “seasoned” vehicles
After I put the car on the wrecker Monday morning, talked to Perry as he drove out of town, loaded up my groceries in my midwife’s truck and made it home, I really just wanted to pass out. But there are kids and groceries and Christmas preparations and on and on. So I got a little nap, met a friend for tea for a quick minute, and kept working at “the list”. And the week has continued from there.
Which brings me to tonight. I’m home completely alone. I have to leave very early to get to the hospital tomorrow, so the kids are at Ms Karen’s overnight. It’s very quiet. I bought myself Jamaican food for dinner, had a long hot bath, and had a glass of red wine. It’s odd, being here by myself. But it’s exactly what I need! My soul needed a break from all the sound and fury that is my normal life. And here it is. As I get a minute tonight to breathe, here’s what has come to me. God has been rescuing me all week. The people he sent to love me (Ms Karen, Auntie A, my partner at work, my midwife, AAA, hospital security, Perry) were placed all along to get me through the challenges and pitfalls this week. And there were more standing by to help! There are some good people in this world, no matter how crazy it seems sometimes. God lined up the situations too – I could have broken down in the middle of Johnson Ferry Road (or worse) in the dark 30 degree weather, alone, instead of at the entrance to the hospital.
One of my favorite places…
This is what I realized about this whole situation: I am being completely taken care of. Not just this week, but always. I’m hyper aware this week, probably because it’s been such a challenge. God is always near, whether I am aware or not. I’m grateful for this week as a reminder (even though I don’t want lots of weeks like this!). But it’s what I needed. I’m more in tune, more attentive, and more here. Getting to watch God work out situations that I couldn’t, truly helped me to lean into him and allow him to take care of me. I often feel like I’m taking care of everyone and every thing and that no one takes care of me. But it’s not true. It’s more a matter of acknowledging the help and protection I’m given. And I think I got some extra this week!
How about you? What do you do when you feel like everything is falling apart around you? Do you look back after you get through and see how you were helped? Better yet, do you see the way you are cared for in the midst of the chaos? Please share in the comments below!