Surprising Recollection
Last evening and later last night another church member and I drove the church van to collect some teenaged youth to another night of our revival services, It meant extra time out of each driver and chaperone’s week, but getting the youth services to hear God’s Word being taught is well worth it. The weather wasn’t all that wonderful and last night’s driver thinks that operating a vehicle van in the rain and dark is not his cup of tea. We made it back to the church just in time for the start of service. I barely made to shuck my hat and jacket back stage to join and take part in our choir. (Yes I sing.)
Last evening’s message was exceptional. As the evangelist spoke, our assistant pastor signed the service. He has been teaching sign language to a large group from our local area. As we sang and the message was preached, he signed the entire service to his students who stayed after class and wished to attend. Afterward we had a dessert fellowship. And what a spread of food there was. It covered several tables with all kinds of desserts.
Later, the driver and I gathered the riders to deliver them safely back to their homes. We dropped them off at their homes safely. As we returned to the church the weather got ugly. It started to rain more heavily and it mixed with snow. Closer to the church fog decided to complicate the trip. We made it back safely despite the wandering deer appearing out of the darkness and fog. They kept us alert.
It reminded me of a time nearly fifty years ago; when I was going home from the 3-11 shift at the Walworth Valve Company in South Greensburg. I was driving my 1966 Galaxie 500 XL. I was tired and could barely keep my eyes open. I had the windows rolled down to let in the cold air. The radio was blasting “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” yet I was still struggling to stay awake. As I topped a small hill a huge owl swooped down. It barely missed hitting the hood of the car. I suddenly noticed its wingspan was as wide as my car when it almost collided with my windshield, wings outstretched. I was no longer tired or sleepy. The sudden appearance of the owl and a near collision with the scary music playing in the background was all the stimulation I needed.