I took the above picture Saturday afternoon while I was driving to Kentucky to visit my dad at the nursing home and later posted it on Instagram. (See caption). I had just crossed the Ohio River Bridge from Indiana into Kentucky and saw another brilliant cross in the sky. Someone later commented that she “laughed out loud” when she read the description I had written under the picture about letting Jesus take the wheel…because I took the picture while I was driving.
I guess sometimes I do have a knack for being serious and funny at the same time. Laughing and crying at the same time is a strange, wonderful thing. Sometimes laughter masks the pain. And sometimes laughter helps you ride out the waves.
While I was driving I had a memory of a Spring Break vacation we took to Florida when I was in High School. My dad had recently broken his right arm and was sporting a full cast (he was right handed), while driving our long, black 1979 Ford Thunderbird. My very pregnant, very uncomfortable sister was in the passenger seat. My best friend and I were squished in the backseat with my mom who was chain smoking cigarettes and driving us all crazy. It was not an enjoyable ride to say the least. But you have to find your sense of humor when riding in a two-door car on a 10 hour-long road trip, especially considering the shape our gang was in. The entire bottom fell out, so to speak, when mom announced to my dad that she had to go the bathroom “RIGHT NOW!” It was emergency status and it was a number 2 situation and we were on the highway with no rest area in sight. So he pulled off on the side of the road and mom went off into the woods with a wad of Kleenex in hand. My friend and I were practically in the floorboard hiding from embarrassment. It wasn’t funny at the time but it ended up being one of the best vacations and we laughed about the road trip for years.
I’ve been dealing with some anxiety lately. It creeps up when I don’t expect it (kind of like mom needing to stop RIGHT NOW). I wasn’t feeling great on Saturday but I forced myself to get out of the house and go visit my dad anyway. And as I was driving I saw that cross in the sky reminding me that all is going to be okay. It gave me peace. Dad and I had a very good visit. He is stuck in the nursing home and cannot walk and HE made me laugh hysterically a couple of times.
God is there through the laughter and the tears. And even when you are doing both at the same time!
Blessings,
Stacey ~ iamalive