Encounters....

This morning we continued the adventure of trying to sell that truck bed cover. I had put on the sale post that the purchaser needed to be responsible for transporting, but it had not occurred to me to specify that they bring extra hands to do the lifting. Oh well. I had helped a few people pick it up to try the size and it wasn't a big deal. Today turned into something of a circus act though.

Two guys showed up that were in their mid fifties at least. The passenger walked very unsteady with a cane to aid his lanky tall frame. I thought to myself, "Well it's a good thing he won't be doing the lifting. I can just help the driver put this big thing on." Then the driver looks at my dad and says, "I hate to impose on you like this but I have several broken ribs at the moment. Would you mind helping my friend here?" I jumped up before my dad could even think of answering and said I would do it.

So there we were....Daddy weak and in chemo, one guy with broken ribs,the other guy that had an amazingly hard time staying on two feet and me. I had been sick to my stomach for a majority of the night and was still shaking it off but called on strength and patience from beyond to handle these men.

The cover didn't fit and we had to walk it back towards the garage. Finally I told them to lay it on the ground and I would call my cousin to help me put it away. The men seemed to have differing degrees of embarrassment at needing a "girl" to help them while I was trying to suppress the laughter of what we must have looked like to passersby.

Good times and fun adventure memories right?

Later in the day my cousin and her husband took me back to Mi Tierra for lunch. There were things there that I did not get to see last time and I completely enjoyed it. It is a building that has so much character and history.

The lounge area is intricate with dark woods and carvings. There are ornate costumes on the walls of classic mariachi style attire and old black and white photos. One thing that really caught my eye though was this sky light with stallions erupting from the ceiling.

We ate in the back room that had this mural running along one wall. The picture above only shows a portion of it. To use the word "huge" would be an understatement. The mural is made up of the many faces and celebrities of local San Antonio heritage. If you look long enough you can see everything from actors and chefs to blue collar underdogs and political heroes.

After enjoying a wonderful meal, we walked around El Mercado (the market square) so that I could do some more shopping for loved ones back home.

Now familiar with the area, I set out on my own in hopes of clearing my head. I had been struggling all day with wanting to break down and cry at the slightest of things. I felt very short fuzzed and desperately wanted to hide...from what I didn't know but it was a hard feeling to carry.

I conquered my mental list of purchases and somehow ended up in a store playing an old Chris Tomlin worship cd. I struck up a polite conversation with the store owner about the music and we ended up talking for quite a while. He opened up and shared with me what was on his mind....how God had helped him to care for his father through a season until he died. He was so grateful for the time and amazed at how much they had grown together. He gave testimony to a couple of situations where he saw without a doubt that God had moved in their relationship with each other and how he got to see his dad grow from a hard man to the soft carrying father he had always wanted. The whole time he talked I fought back tears. He didn't know my story. He was just sharing.

When he finished he gave me his shop card and told me to come back anytime because he had enjoyed our conversation and was blessed that I had listened. I said, "but wait. You don't understand. You have to know what God just did. I am not from around here. I have been in town for the last 2 months away from my family and everything familiar so that I can take care of my father who the doctors have labeled with terminal cancer." I shared a couple of my own testimonies and we both cried.

By that point he had been ignoring quite a few customers and I told him he needed to get back to work. He asked if he could hug me and promised he would be praying. He smiled and said, "You are my sister in Christ and I am here for you." I left and huddled in a small corner by the public drinking fountain trying unsuccessfully to clear my tears for a fair amount of time before finding my cousin again.

I am so grateful for how God does those things. I had no idea I would receive comfort and understanding from a complete stranger today. Physically I am tired and my neck is so sore. But somehow I feel lighter and able to focus better on what really matters. God is in control and He promises to not give more than I can handle.

Blessings to you!

post note....while I was gone, my other cousin was able to assist Daddy is selling his truck bed cover. :-)