My Testimony

Yesterday I was driving down the road when I got behind a big white truck that was driving slow for a vehicle of it's size. You know the kind... with the big wide back fenders. I admit I drive fast so I passed the slow poke. As I passed it, I noticed a gapping hole in the fender over the back left tire. I wondered what happened to cause such a hole? Then I thought we are all like that broken fender or a wrecked car; a bit broken ourselves. We may be beaten up by life itself or our own selves or by others physically. We may have been hit hard by certain events in our lives; we may have been side-swiped, but hopefully not demolished; we may have had a few fender-benders in our time, but we are still standing; still truckin'onward. We nay have crashed but not burned. We may have been rear-ended, but we continue on down our paths we have chosen. We may have taken a few wrong turns, but those mistakes led us to where we are now. Where we were meant to be. Or where I am meant to be.

I had a 1975 baby blue camero. I did not have it very long that summer of '75 after high school when I wrecked it by hitting a BIG tree. That tree is still standing. I pass by it sometimes, but not often now. I learned a new term the day of my wreck. "Totaled". I had totaled my car I was told. I still cringe at that memory even today. If only I had not made that turn... But we cannot got through life thinking about what if's. What if's change nothing. They are a waste of our time and energy when we could be doing better things.

My car wasn't totaled out so it was fixed, but was never really the same again. Just as we are never quite the same person after something tramatic affects our life. I drove that car for almost 20 years. It served me very well. It was like my baby. My mom called her "Ole Bestsy". Some might say the car was bad luck for me. Later in 1990, the radiator exploded on me while I was out of town. Some idiot opened the hood and the radiator fluid came pouring up and out like water from a garden hose onto me! It seemed to follow me as I moved backwards. I had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my face, right chest and breast, right arm and back shoulder. But I was lucky. I was wearing contacts and sunglasses so my eyes were not harmed. The t-shirt I had on came from a winery in California I'd visited with my best friend Genie and it was thick cotton which held the hot fluid. A black lady and her children were there at the Chevron station I'd stopped at. I asked her to please help me because she was the only woman in sight. Her children got my bag out of the trunk of my car so I could change clothes. She helped me wash the fluid off with water in the ladies room. I did not care that her children were seeing my bare breasts. You tend to forget about modesty and shame when you are really hurt. I took off my watch because it had some of the fluid underneath the leather band and it was stinging my wrist. I never got the watch back, but my mom and I consider it payment for their help. Later my mom would buy me another one similar to it, but the watch was not important. The fact that I drove myself to the hospital while crying and praying is one of my proudest moments in my life. It proved that I am my mother's daugher. I am a strong person when life demands it.

Once changed I drove myself to the nearest hospital outside of Savannah. The nurse had to pop my blisters, but it tickled. They gave me something for pain and had me lie down. I had to because it was fast acting stuff. I had a wonderful Indian doctor there. I was placed in a room to await my parent's arrival. I called my very pregnant best friend Penny in Savannah to come stay with me until my parents arrived to take me home. To this day I still bless her for coming to sit with me on one of THE worst days in my life. She brought me one of her father's buttoned down shirts since I only had t-shirts. I still have that shirt at my mom's and the one I was wearing when the accident happened, but I have no desire to wear them now or ever again. That would be too much of a reminder. And the winery t-shirt was one of my favorites due to it's color. I was a rich berry color.

The Lord was trying to tell me something that day before I left home. I knew there was a problem with my car, but I went on anyway. He was trying to tell me I should not have been with the boy I was seeing at the time. A boy not a man. Certainly not a man of God. I just refused to hear Him until this happened. The boy did come to the hospital to see me for a few minutes before my friend Penny arrived. I never heard from him again - not that I care now. I guess I was damaged goods to him. I bear the scars of this freak accident today. I have tried to cover them up with a cream, but I no longer do that. Sometimes I forget they are there. I no longer see them in the mirror.The one on my arm has faded. It looks as if I had a tatoo and had it surgically removed. Once I tried some Metaluca stuff that had it fading, but I stopped using it because I did not like the smell. I could have made a testimonial for the stuff. I am not sure if is still being made or in existance, but like I said it doesn't bother me now. I think it bothered my husband far more than it did me. Even he wanted to kill the man that opened the hood and he is not a violate person. Yes, if I could go back... I would NOT have went out of town that day. But if I had not, my life would have gone in a different direction. I might still be unmarried and childless. I would not have met my husband. I would not have my son. Go back? I think not. Not now. Sure it would be wonderful to have no scars; to be near perfect again, but there is only one who is perfect.

Lesson learned: Listen when God is trying to tell you something. Listen to that inner voice that tells you you should not be doing something. It is almost always right.

Because of this tragic event in my life, I was able to tell my testimony to a young man I knew who had been badly burned far worse than I was. I wrote him a letter telling him much of what is stated here. Later he told me it made him cry.

We kept my car til it was running on it's last wheel. It was smoking when we pulled into an out-of-town car lot one Saturday. We hurried away from it so the salesman would not see the smoke. We did not make a trade that day, but luckily we made it back home. Later we would trade the camero in on Thunderbird.

I am a keeper. I keep things until they wear out. I have been blessed in my life in so many ways. One of them is having a lot of clothes as well as shoes and I am very thankful for them. I have worn out a few pairs of jeans and shoes in my time. I like to wear my husband's old, thin shirts around the house. I like to use thin, worn out wash cloths as opposed to new thick ones. I kept my son's baby wash cloths and bought me more of them because they are so soft to my sensitive skin. Now I would not put these out for our guests of course. LOL

Just because something is old, thin or broken, we don't have to throw it away or at least I do not. Even if something is broken, it may still work. A broken person is still of value also. My mottohas always been: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But if it is broken, fix it NOW! If you are broken, God can heal you as He did me.

We all have our scars to bear just as Jesus bore His. You cannot see mine just by looking at me. Luckily my clothes cover them up. I could never wear a low-cut, strapless or one shouldered gown unless my right side was the one coverd up. Because the scar is white, I was once asked by a tactless person who knew my story if it was lotion that I did not rub in good.

My Thunderbird is dented from an scarey accident a few years ago. The good thing about a banged up car is you don't have to worry about scratching it up anymore. Not long ago I drove by some windows and saw my car reflected there. It did not look as bad as I thought it did so I no longer felt bad about it. It is all in how you see yourself. I no longer see my scars, I see only me. I not longer see my dents, I see a better looking car. How do you see yourself?

Despite all this that happened to me, I am thankful it happened so I am where I am now.

Today Rhett had a program at his school. We thought he was winning an award, but alas he did not. I guess he was like "honorable mention" without being mentioned because he did get to attend the luncheon consisting of 2 slices of pizza that tasted like cardboard and wilted brown salad I paid $3.00 for. It was like a waste of make up for me, but I was there supporting my child.

On every Thursdays Rhett has to turn in current events which we adhere to construction paper with my Creative Memories photo splits. I found two articles of interest. If I knew how to link to Columbus Ledger Enquirer in Columbus, GA, I would do that now for the article entitled "Alabama Artist in Smithsonian" where an 80 year old artist who makes batik paintings from clay as a dye and her canvas consists of antique linens, handkerchiefs, doilies, etc. Once I figure out how to do this, I'll post the link. There was another article about the water tower I previously posted for Sky Watch Friday
http://quoththerav3.blogspot.com/2008/03/tin-man.html
and http://quoththerav3.blogspot.com/2008/02/columbus-water-towers.html
I would like to link this also.

This week I already tooted my own horn about it, but I am so thankful I sold not one but two of my stampst at www.zazzle.com/ !!

If you would like to participate in Thankful Thursday, please go to:
http://www.eph2810.com/

If you would like to see some really funny cat photos, go to:
http://www.mommybytes.com/2008/03/thurzday-thurteen-36-lolcat-edition.html

Blessing to you!
~theRAV~

Sorry but these links are not coming through.