The Fender Bender

I will just put this right out there: I was at fault in this fender bender

I was on a main road that had been detoured to a teeny road because of a local fest, and the cars were packed up on either side of me, I was thinking I had narrowly missed scrapping this one parked car when I actually heard a scrape...ew...not good. So instead of stopping and causing a major back up on the detour road that was already jam packed, I thought I would drive up to a clear spot where I could pull over, park and walk back...well…thirty minutes later...when I returned after going on a little Heidi detour, the car was gone. So I went into the store the car had been parked in front of, I attempted to communicate with the older German woman who spoke no english and finally we just decided to call the polizei...everything worked out with them, they took down my info and told me they had received no reports and would call me if anyone reported it. Then the military police showed up and said they would have to charge me with a hit and run...but thankfully we got that worked out and I wasn't charged with a hit and run. In the middle of all this, I called Paul crying and asking him what in the world I'm supposed to do in a foreign country fender-bender, and of course he was very calm and patient and compassionate towards me even when I was crying and telling him how badly I needed him here with me. Later I called him back and apologized for being inconsiderate of his circumstances and thanked him for his loving help.

So if my lesson in trusting the Lord was a pass or fail, I'd have to say I failed; but I hope to never walk out of a situation like the one above without having a growth spurt. Some of the things I learned from this incident were, no amount of crying or asking 'why' makes the problem go away...this can actually make things more difficult and take longer. So next time I'm in a fender bender on a crowded street in front of a shop, I've got to stay calm, stop the car and trust. :) Sounds so easy...Lord give me the strength to trust.

Psalm 73:26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever

Highlights

Wow! It's almost been a month since I've updated everyone. Hopefully I won't be a once-a-month updater, but if it happens, it happens. :) Here's a highlight of what's up with us:

• Paul left Wednesday July 9th for Grafenwoehr and the field

• Thursday July 10th I began my volunteer nursing position at the Schweinfurt US Army Garrison Health Clinic 8-5

• Friday July 18th I received a call from the Women Infant Children (WIC) program to be interviewed for a position over there

• Saturday July 19th I went on a Main Riverboat evening cruise with my Katy whose husband Rob works in the same unit as Paul (our Aggie friends :))
• Sunday July 20th Paul is glad for the chance to stop work for a couple of hours to go to the chapel today

• Monday and Tuesday July 21 & 22 I volunteered at the WIC center to check out their program

• Wednesday July 23 I rode a train down to Munich to meet up with my friend from HPU, Cassie
• Thursday July 24 I slept in because I missed my original train home from Munich on Wednesday and got home at 1:30 AM

• Paul is working on getting settled in at the field, he's responsible for much of the movement of large vehicles and supplies to Graf from Schweinfurt and has been pulling 6AM-12AM days for a week now

• Friday July 25th I received notification that the WIC center had decided to go through with hiring the original dietician they had been considering instead of me; also the temporary nurse manager at the health clinic called and said they may have a position for me, but to wait for a phone call from hiring offices

• Friday evening Barbara, whom I met through BSF in Corpus Christi TX, drove over to Schweinfurt from Ansbach Germany, where she visits every summer with her three year old daughter Katlin to visit me for the weekend
• Saturday July 26 Paul finds out he's been assigned to a new position as possible XO of the HHC and definitely the DHA officer (detainee holding area - pretty much prisoners of war area) for the upcoming deployment

• Monday and Tuesday this week again were at the health clinic with the rest of the week dedicated to a trip to Innsbruck Austria with my Katy to see Cassie and Kalie (friends from Howard Payne)

• Wednesday July 30th Katy and I found out our hubbies were coming home for a 48 hour R&R so we quickly had to cancel our Innsbruck travel plans for the weekend

• Thursday I putted around because I had not signed up for hours to volunteer the latter part of this week at the health clinic...mostly did grocery shopping and tidying of the house

• Friday I got in a fender bender...will give more details...later

• Paul was out on the range most of this week, shooting big guns and giving orders for others to shoot big guns

• Saturday (Today) hung out with Missy...we had a good ol' time driving and singing and laughing and taking fun pictures

Over the past month or so, I have been thankful for many things:

• For the restful time we had celebrating our 4 year anniversary before Paul left (thanks for prayers). Garmisch and Edelweiss and the castles were fabulous. I love my husband and I'm so thankful for the man God has given me, I don't ever want to take him for granted.

• For the growth opportunity that Paul and I see in this time that we are apart. The attitude checks, relying on the Father, reaching out to others and not being an island unto ourselves when Paul and I are unable to communicate, building relationships with those around us, loving people to Christ, trusting in God's timing, going with the flow, etc, we can never grow enough in these basic areas...Father keep us learning!

• For the practice that this time is giving us to prepare for the upcoming deployment. I realize the Army life is where we've been called; this is our mission field and I can't deny the fact that deployments are part of that life; this may be the best way to connect with people on a deeper level and allow Christ to work, even though it's not fun to be apart

• For my new friend Katy. She and I met by coincidence (or not) in the parking lot at the PX almost a month ago, found out our husbands work together and the rest is history; I am so thankful for the nights we've spent watching Gilmore Girls, talking about being army wives, the Lord, bible studies, and life

• For Missy's return from her 1 month trip to the States. Missy and I met a couple of months earlier at the end of May at a worship practice for Protestant Women of the Chapel. When she returned at the beginning of July, we fell back into our routine of talking and singing together and praying for each other. She is such an encouragement to me as a sister in Christ. Her walk with the Lord challenges me and I am thankful for this friend

• For Barbara's visit. Barbara is now living only an hour and a half away from me near Ansbach. She and I were so happy to catch up with each other and connect our Texas and Germany worlds. The best part about her visit was finding out that my pastor here in Schweinfurt also preaches a sermon earlier on Sunday mornings only 7 minutes from where Barbara lives...so this Sunday we get to hear the same sermon even though we're apart :)

• For Paul coming home for 48 hours! I love mein Mann and I sure have missed him. This was a pleasant surprise to find out he would be home with me, can hardly wait to hug him!