A sight to sadden, scare and thrill a father's heart: his "little girl" driving off by herself in her car!
It happened last week, just a day after Imani earned her driver's license. The girl who refused to use training wheels on her bicycle but hopped right on a two wheel and pedaled furiously and successfully down the road was also the first of our three kids to get a license! She is a very good driver, and God willing she will get through the nerve-wracking first year of driving just fine.
The car is a 1996 Mercury Mystique, driven until a few months ago by Linda's landlady Pat Halsey. It has been very well cared for over the years by none other than Craig Sheppard, car mechanic extraordinaire, fairly new grandpa and husband of the extremely pregnant Heather. Imani being Imani, she drove out to an auto parts store and bought stylish seat covers, air freshener and other "bling". I bought the gas! She is, however, looking hard for a job to meet her responsibilities. Anyone got any work for her?
Her newfound independence and Joe's graduation and pending on-campus life at St. Mike's unsettled me. Slow down, world, too much loss for one year......but a terrific Father's Day helped a lot. Joe made me a cheesecake and cleaned the downstairs, Imani gave me no-bake cookies, and Tim and I enjoyed a happy Father's Day phone call. Even better, I am blessed to know that all three of my children are healthy, walking in faith, and using their particular strengths and gifts to be servant leaders in their respective communities. Truly my quiver is full!
The Acts 27 application to my life has nothing to do with comparing Imani's driving to the heaving and tossing of a storm-wracked ship off the coast of Cyprus, except perhaps by sharp contrast. The upheaval, the "will it never end" feeling, did describe my state of mind sometimes last week, though. I resembled the tired, sick, despairing sailors and soldiers on the ship. Like them I was blessed to hear from a few encouraging Pauls, brothers and sisters who assured me that trusting God and His word would bring me into a calm, safe haven. And after some prayer, and some TLC from my kids, that's exactly what happened.
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