Chapter Three
Sam quickly settled in to the early morning rhythm of the interstate highway. He was an iron man driver, having spent many months on these roads scraping out a living when labor disputes kept him out of the plant. Long hours of windshield time didn’t faze him and he certainly didn’t need a map.
Sam had bought this van with road trips in mind and he enjoyed each opportunity he got to drive it. It was plush, but not ostentatious, and he had gotten a good deal on it. Even so, it was a simple luxury that he didn’t often afford himself. The van was blue and white on purpose and it was all decked out with Kentucky Wildcat memorabilia and a personalized license plate that let everyone on the highway know that he was a KENTUCKY FAN. It wasn’t his daily work car and it mostly sat in the driveway at home but it was in good shape for the drive today. He could easily make this drive there and back if they stayed on schedule. Traffic was light at this hour and he was grateful for that. Sam set the cruise control and settled back into his seat.
It would still be dark for a while and he had only his thoughts for company. Sam was an early morning man and he was comfortable with this time of the day. He slid a CD into the tray – easy listening praise music that reminded of some stadium events that he had been to with men from his church. He had just returned from this year’s event and was still enjoying the afterglow of that gathering. The music helped to ease him back into the spirit of that weekend. Sam wasn’t a sing along kind of guy, but he appreciated good music and especially good spiritual music. Acoustic guitar and catchy repetitive choruses. It sustained him in the infrequent times he found himself alone nowadays.
This time of day was normally his time for meditation and prayer. Quiet time that he committed to each morning in the face of demands against that time. How easy it would be to skip it today. He wasn’t accountable to anyone to keep a schedule. But it wasn’t for anyone else and it wasn’t for show. It was meaningful time for him and it would take more than a road trip to miss it. Anyway, Sam thought that the occasion that they were headed for warranted some time in that area today. He would make use of this rolling quiet time. A glance at Jake confirmed that he was sleeping soundly. So, with a careful eye on the road and lifted by the music on his stereo, Sam started clicking through his prayer list.
He thought of Marie, his wife of 30 years. She wasn’t particularly happy that he was leaving again after being gone for the weekend, but she understood and would get by. He missed her when he was gone for more than a day and needed to be home with her. She hadn’t been feeling well lately and, although she never mentioned it, she needed him there as well. He would make it a point to be home in the evenings for the rest of the week with her. Maybe he would stop on the way back and pick up some flowers for her. She was a trooper, he thought, who had stood by him in a lot of difficult circumstances over the years. He was blessed to be with her and he prayed God’s blessings on her.
Strange, he thought, that he had just had a conversation with Marie about Jake last week. There was conflict at work and Jake was causing Sam some stress. But that’s not what he talked with Marie about. He was worried about Jake, but wasn’t sure exactly why. They hadn’t spoke to each other that much. He looked over at Jake sleeping quietly beside him and added him to his prayer list.
He thought about his kids, three girls and a boy, and he smiled. Man, he was proud of them. Of course he was always worried about them, in the way that father’s are. But really he didn’t have anything to be worried about so far this week.
He prayed for Janey, who was out on her own and doing well at her new job at the newspaper. Sam guessed that her inquisitive nature that drove him crazy while she was growing up probaly made her a good reporter. It was tough being hours from her, but he trusted her implicitly and was proud of her independence. Sam made a mental note to call her later and ask if he could help her find an apartment in Atlanta.
Christopher had called, Marie told him, to ask for prayer for a job interview and Sam took a moment to intercede there. Christopher was having a tough go of it, but had good skills and a good heart. He would land on his feet.
Liz was doing well in her studies at college. He still wasn’t certain how she chose pre-law, but he admired her ambition and determination. Sam groaned when he remembered that a tuition payment was due. And he would have to talk to her about her phone bill next week when he took her the second-hand microwave he had bought her for her dorm room.
And finally Sara was having a swim meet at the high school this week. It would be tight scheduling for him to be at the meet and still get some home visits in this week for the church, but he would get it done. Sam couldn’t swim well himself and was always a little nervous at the pool. Sara must have gotten her sea legs from Marie.
Sam had come to depended on prayer cover to care for his family while he on the road and his mind eased some now that he’d asked for it. Marie was the center, of course. She kept him up to date on the comings and goings and the needs and the successes. She shielded him from some worries and took those burdens on herself, he suspected. But he appreciated her strength and her organizational abilities. His mind eased, Sam moved on.
He thought about his church and his pastor. Rev. Harris was a good man and Sam was his friend and his partner in ministry at their small Community Church. The pastor had a tough week coming facing him and Sam would’ve liked to be there to share the load. But Steve would understand the family commitment that Sam was honoring here today. The work would be there when he got back. Sam thought about the families under his care as a trustee of the church. They were good people and he enjoyed ministering to all of them. But there was always a need and this week was no exception. He would need to find a way to help the Peterson’s who were struggling through a layoff period.
Sam checked the traffic, which was starting to pick up, and decided he was okay in this lane on cruise control. He settled back in and thought finally about Scooter, his lifelong best friend. Scooter was having a good year this year in the Department of Prisons. He was up for promotion as he was nearing retirement. Scooter helped out around the church on the grounds committee and was working on adding an addition for the Sunday School. Sam prayed for their efforts, as funding and helpers were always a hurdle. Scooter had traveled with Sam to the stadium event last weekend and helped coordinate the group’s travel and activities. Sam remembered that Scooter had asked him to pick up some travel snacks for their upcoming annual fishing trip to his cabin at the lake. It was the one week out of the year that Sam was guaranteed to block off on the vacation schedule at work. Short of an emergency, he wouldn’t miss that battery-charging away time.
There were several others that came to mind, but Sam starting thinking about finding a rest area for a break. They were a little ahead of schedule and he needed to stretch his legs. A coffee refill would be welcome also. He was pretty sure that he was close to the rest area. His plan to let Jake sleep was defeated by the quiet buzzing sound he heard.
“Jake, wake up”, Sam whispered as he nudged his kid brother. “It’s your cell phone.”
Sam had bought this van with road trips in mind and he enjoyed each opportunity he got to drive it. It was plush, but not ostentatious, and he had gotten a good deal on it. Even so, it was a simple luxury that he didn’t often afford himself. The van was blue and white on purpose and it was all decked out with Kentucky Wildcat memorabilia and a personalized license plate that let everyone on the highway know that he was a KENTUCKY FAN. It wasn’t his daily work car and it mostly sat in the driveway at home but it was in good shape for the drive today. He could easily make this drive there and back if they stayed on schedule. Traffic was light at this hour and he was grateful for that. Sam set the cruise control and settled back into his seat.
It would still be dark for a while and he had only his thoughts for company. Sam was an early morning man and he was comfortable with this time of the day. He slid a CD into the tray – easy listening praise music that reminded of some stadium events that he had been to with men from his church. He had just returned from this year’s event and was still enjoying the afterglow of that gathering. The music helped to ease him back into the spirit of that weekend. Sam wasn’t a sing along kind of guy, but he appreciated good music and especially good spiritual music. Acoustic guitar and catchy repetitive choruses. It sustained him in the infrequent times he found himself alone nowadays.
This time of day was normally his time for meditation and prayer. Quiet time that he committed to each morning in the face of demands against that time. How easy it would be to skip it today. He wasn’t accountable to anyone to keep a schedule. But it wasn’t for anyone else and it wasn’t for show. It was meaningful time for him and it would take more than a road trip to miss it. Anyway, Sam thought that the occasion that they were headed for warranted some time in that area today. He would make use of this rolling quiet time. A glance at Jake confirmed that he was sleeping soundly. So, with a careful eye on the road and lifted by the music on his stereo, Sam started clicking through his prayer list.
He thought of Marie, his wife of 30 years. She wasn’t particularly happy that he was leaving again after being gone for the weekend, but she understood and would get by. He missed her when he was gone for more than a day and needed to be home with her. She hadn’t been feeling well lately and, although she never mentioned it, she needed him there as well. He would make it a point to be home in the evenings for the rest of the week with her. Maybe he would stop on the way back and pick up some flowers for her. She was a trooper, he thought, who had stood by him in a lot of difficult circumstances over the years. He was blessed to be with her and he prayed God’s blessings on her.
Strange, he thought, that he had just had a conversation with Marie about Jake last week. There was conflict at work and Jake was causing Sam some stress. But that’s not what he talked with Marie about. He was worried about Jake, but wasn’t sure exactly why. They hadn’t spoke to each other that much. He looked over at Jake sleeping quietly beside him and added him to his prayer list.
He thought about his kids, three girls and a boy, and he smiled. Man, he was proud of them. Of course he was always worried about them, in the way that father’s are. But really he didn’t have anything to be worried about so far this week.
He prayed for Janey, who was out on her own and doing well at her new job at the newspaper. Sam guessed that her inquisitive nature that drove him crazy while she was growing up probaly made her a good reporter. It was tough being hours from her, but he trusted her implicitly and was proud of her independence. Sam made a mental note to call her later and ask if he could help her find an apartment in Atlanta.
Christopher had called, Marie told him, to ask for prayer for a job interview and Sam took a moment to intercede there. Christopher was having a tough go of it, but had good skills and a good heart. He would land on his feet.
Liz was doing well in her studies at college. He still wasn’t certain how she chose pre-law, but he admired her ambition and determination. Sam groaned when he remembered that a tuition payment was due. And he would have to talk to her about her phone bill next week when he took her the second-hand microwave he had bought her for her dorm room.
And finally Sara was having a swim meet at the high school this week. It would be tight scheduling for him to be at the meet and still get some home visits in this week for the church, but he would get it done. Sam couldn’t swim well himself and was always a little nervous at the pool. Sara must have gotten her sea legs from Marie.
Sam had come to depended on prayer cover to care for his family while he on the road and his mind eased some now that he’d asked for it. Marie was the center, of course. She kept him up to date on the comings and goings and the needs and the successes. She shielded him from some worries and took those burdens on herself, he suspected. But he appreciated her strength and her organizational abilities. His mind eased, Sam moved on.
He thought about his church and his pastor. Rev. Harris was a good man and Sam was his friend and his partner in ministry at their small Community Church. The pastor had a tough week coming facing him and Sam would’ve liked to be there to share the load. But Steve would understand the family commitment that Sam was honoring here today. The work would be there when he got back. Sam thought about the families under his care as a trustee of the church. They were good people and he enjoyed ministering to all of them. But there was always a need and this week was no exception. He would need to find a way to help the Peterson’s who were struggling through a layoff period.
Sam checked the traffic, which was starting to pick up, and decided he was okay in this lane on cruise control. He settled back in and thought finally about Scooter, his lifelong best friend. Scooter was having a good year this year in the Department of Prisons. He was up for promotion as he was nearing retirement. Scooter helped out around the church on the grounds committee and was working on adding an addition for the Sunday School. Sam prayed for their efforts, as funding and helpers were always a hurdle. Scooter had traveled with Sam to the stadium event last weekend and helped coordinate the group’s travel and activities. Sam remembered that Scooter had asked him to pick up some travel snacks for their upcoming annual fishing trip to his cabin at the lake. It was the one week out of the year that Sam was guaranteed to block off on the vacation schedule at work. Short of an emergency, he wouldn’t miss that battery-charging away time.
There were several others that came to mind, but Sam starting thinking about finding a rest area for a break. They were a little ahead of schedule and he needed to stretch his legs. A coffee refill would be welcome also. He was pretty sure that he was close to the rest area. His plan to let Jake sleep was defeated by the quiet buzzing sound he heard.
“Jake, wake up”, Sam whispered as he nudged his kid brother. “It’s your cell phone.”
posted by Randy Masters at 3:12 PM
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