Home So Soon?

These are the photos from our trip to Charlotte:

4 in 25. Not the number of people who think I resemble Six from Blossom. Hopefully not as many people who think that Sarah Palin can actually pull off the debate on Thursday. It is quite possibly the number of failed attempts to hang out with the Kulps in Charlotte (pink eye, fever, and budget cuts now being a few of the reasons we haven't been able to visit our friends). 

But in this case, 4 is how many miles I drove in 25 minutes yesterday on I85 leaving the Kulps house. What was supposed to be an overnight visit full of fun for me and the girls turned into a wardrobe exchange for Mary and me and a naptime playdate for Kate and Celia. After laying Nancy down for a nap, she woke up with a fever of 101.5. So as not to infect our sweet friends, not to mention Camilla who is just 6 months old, we decided to head back home. Plus, who wants to sleep in a pack and play in a room with your sister when you don't feel good? I'm sure Dave thinks we are crazy. He was home just long enough to say hello to me after I came out of the bathroom from spanking Kate, and comes home for supper to find we are 45 minutes gone. Kate was so disappointed, but Celia was such an encourager. She gave Kate a hug and said "Kate, I know you are sad to go home, but maybe you can come back again another day because you are my best friend in the whole world." Since 5 year olds don't quite know how to show all emotion yet, giggles and racing around the house followed in a celebration of friendship. These little girls couldn't get along 18 months ago; now they are BFF! 

4 miles in 25 minutes isn't as slow as some have experienced, but it is as slow as I want to experience with a sick baby, Dora, and antsy kindergartener in the car on a trip we just completed only 4 hours earlier. And I have plenty of time to wonder "why?" Why, if God's plan/will/choice is sovereign and perfect, is sitting in traffic exactly what He wants me to do? How does it benefit me? i ask myself. And He reminds me that it's really not about me. Obviously I need to think more about how I can be a part of God's kingdom instead of focusing on how He can help me in my kingdom. 

After wallowing in self pity and telling Ryan he either needed to feel sorry for me or get on google earth to tell me what lie ahead on the road (accident? bottleneck? people giving out cash?) I talk to Brandy in Bluffton. She and Gray are making some hard decisions for their family, and all I am worried about is that Nancy might start having a meltdown in the backseat. Even in the middle of their trials, Brandy is the one that says to me "but I know that God's will is perfect." And He wants to take care of us, and He will. 

Who knew that 10 years after Clemson, Bran, Mary and I would still be able to be real in each others' lives, dealing with exhaustion, quarter-life crises, a faltering economy, sick babies, and getting dinner on the table? Now that I think about it, the road-trip-that-almost-was may not have been about me, but it did give me a time to reflect on how gracious He's been to provide these and other wonderful, sweet friendships. I am so thankful for you, girls! I love you!

Kulps, we'll try again in November!