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Driving alone a little over 500 miles during the Christmas holiday season can have it's challenges. But, driving a 16-foot truck full of all of your worldly possessions across 3 states including mountainous territory, intense fog, and traffic is...INTERESTING.
The adventure began at 2:30 a.m. as I got up to pack my stuff. The night before I couldnt sleep and tossed and turned. That always happens to me before a trip. By the time I was finished (and walked and fed my dog) it was 4am and I was off. Now...if you know me you know that music is essential. So, I'll blog this in soundtrack form.
I started with Barlow Girls "Another Journal Entry" (thanks Chrissy). I listened to it until I encountered the most beautiful thing I have ever seen with my own eyes. I was in Charlottesville driving past the Look Out Points and saw fog covering the mountains. I cant even explain how incredible it was. It looked like a warm comfy blanket of cotton was covering the mountains. I thought long and hard about stopping and crossing the 4 lanes needed to take a proper photo but as a million cars whizzed by...I thought that photo wasnt worth my life.
On to Imogen Heap's "Speak for Yourself". I rolled into a town in WV because I was running low on gas and needed to um...take a trip to the powder room. As I rolled into the only gas station for miles I could practically hear the music from "Deliverance" playing. No offense to anyone from WV but wow...little ole black Tanya started to get a bit scared when EVERYONE was dressed in camouflage and carrying large guns. I am not exaggerating folks. I was greeted with about 20 men with rifles as I walked in to pay for my gas and none of them looked happy to see me. Normally I am used to being the sole "token" wherever I go with my friends. But, this was unfamiliar territory and I was flying solo. After all I once married a redneck for goodness sakes. I knew all of the different possible outcomes of this moment...and I wasnt so sure I wanted to stick around and find out which one would come true. So, of course I started quoting scripture (2 Tim 1:7) "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". I quietly asked for the bathroom key (newspaper wrapped in a tube with a key attached) and headed outside. How can I describe the bathroom? Early American outhouse meets country jail cell. I walked in...and there were no lights. I mean pitch darkness. I had to use my cell phone to navigate. In my mind I am imagining men with guns storming in at any minute ready for a lynchin...bugs crawling the unseen walls...or some guy telling me to put the lotion in the basket...so needless to say I was fast as lightening.
On to Hill Song United's "United We Stand" cause I sure needed to praise God I was still alive. The rest of the trip was a series of holding my breath up and down mountains praying that I wouldnt carren off the side or need to use the emergency truck lanes. But I arrived saftly 10 hours after I began and was so excited!
Onto Regina Spektor's "Begin to Hope" We unloaded the truck with the help of my mom's church members. Praise God for them because I was soooo exhausted.
The next day was a blur of cooking, eating, laughing, and loving with my family. We played Spades (I lost), we watched every Christmas movie ever made...twice, we sang, and stayed up til 4 a.m. talking. We talked about how blessed we were that my sister has her new kidney. I made fun of her resemblance to Michael Jackson because she has to wear a mask while she is still healing to protect her from our germs. My 36 year-old schizophrenic brother (no that isnt a joke...he really is schizophrenic) had us all in stitches with his jokes and sarcastic comments. I think he has the best sense of humor of our entire family. I forget how much I miss them when I am away from them.
Kirk Franklin's "Hero" (June still has my copy so I had to listen to it on my laptop...hint hint June). Sunday we went to church. My family is a different denomination than me and they attend a traditionally black church. Their church is a member of AME churches (the ones started because blacks were forbidden from entering white churches back in the day). The worship is soulful, the preaching loud, and the "Amen's" are so thick you can feel them. There is a real sense of community but they can also be very political. For example in a prayer the Pastor said "Lord, please send wisdom to that man who calls himself our President as he sanctions the killing of our innocent young military members. This war is senseless and not of You." Anyway...during the service a white family walked in. They sat right in front of my family and I could see that the 3 girls were wearing handkerchiefs on their heads because they couldnt afford hats (it was 35 degrees outside). They were dirty and obviously uncomfortable in a place where no one else looked like them. Harkening back to that WV gas station...I knew exactly how they felt. My mom went into greeting mode (I get it honest y'all) and took this little family under her wing showing them the hymnals and Bibles and telling them when to stand and when to sit. The kids instantly became comfortable and started smiling. My mom has that affect on people.
After service I talked to the mother and learned that she is a Meth addict. They were poor and had no where to go for Christmas dinner. I looked at my mom and knew she was giving me the silent ok. I invited them to Christmas dinner and offered to pick them up because they had no transportation. The Pastor interrupted our talk to take the family into his office and ask what their needs were so that the children could be cared for. He made sure to let them know they are welcome and that he wanted them to come back and would pick them up every week if they needed it. Man, sometimes I really love the body of Christ.
So we had the Orr family over for Christmas dinner and we had a ball. I leave tomorrow and I have to say that was the highlight of my trip. Not because I feel like it was charity...because I dont in the least. But, because I got to spend time with these children and for a few hours they werent thinking of how poor they were or what they did not get for Christmas. They were happy and laughing and playing games. And of course my mom sent them home with gifts because that is the kind of woman she is. Like I said. I get it honest.
Gotta go. My sister and I are watching "The Little Mermaid". She got it for Christmas and she is excited to see it again. Man, I love that lil crab Sebastian.
Love y'all
Matthew 25: 40-45
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
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