Cow Truck

I carefully composed my entire column on a notepad yesterday sitting in the sun at a ballpark in Temple.  It was pretty good.  It was finished.  Everything was ready to type until I had a run-in with a big truck on I-35.  What happened totally made me changed my mental gears and change my plans for what I was writing this week. 

It went down like this.  I was driving.  We were singing along and doing a bit of dancing as usual.  All of a sudden there was an aroma in the air that was not our half-eaten Chick-Fil-A sandwiches.  It was stronger and way more funky than the two little softball players I had in the backseat.  It was a hefty odor and smelled like the Buffalo Sale Barn did when I was a little girl and frequented there. 

About that time something started to hit my windshield.  I surveyed my horizons to see if there was a truck hauling gravel or dirt in front of us because little specks of something were coming my way.  About that time, my passengers and I put two and two together and realized that there was a cattle hauler in front of us. 

Oh yeah!  We were right on the tails of a bull wagon as we call it in the south.  The debris that was flying onto my car was cow manure mixed with some cow urine I am sure.  I switched lanes and got away from the culprit.  In just a few minutes, the smell was gone.  We resumed our singing, dancing, and headed on north.

My thought was this:  I was minding my own business with a car full of kids and my cruise control set, not speeding for once, but the “you know what” got me!  I laughed because I thought that the cattle truck experience was a lot like life.  Sometimes life will just get you!  Sometimes people will just get you.  Sometimes life will just get TO you and sometimes people will just get TO you. 

What do you do when life throws some stuff your way?  Well, you keep on going.  You do not stop.  I believe you trust the Lord and trust that He has plans for your life.  You also accept the fact that in this world you will have trouble.  Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you.”  John 16:33 also says “In the world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”  Add those two together and you know that the trouble, the yucky stuff, in life will be okay.

Some trouble we bring on ourselves.  That is called sin.  Some trouble is just an attack from the enemy.  Some trouble is thrown on you from God because the test and trials of life will make you stronger.  No matter the source of the mess thrown your way, you do not stop.  You continue on!  You talk to Jesus and figure it out.  He can help you get cleaned up and forgiven, resist the enemy, and withstand the trial. 

If you get hit with a big mess this week, stay on the road and continue on in the path the Lord has you on.  He is with you!  Keep on trucking!