Usually, I love Thursdays. Thursday is a very special day for the kids and me because it's the day that my good friend Donna comes and plays with the kids so I can get out for a couple of hours. This particular Thursday was even more exciting because I was off to get some outfits for the kids' photo session we're having done next week. So, as I was driving along in my oh-so-quiet van, I decided to make a couple of phone calls I otherwise don't get to make normally. I know - cell phones and driving do not mix well - but neither do four kids under four and phone calls. As I'm calling my sister-in-law, I realize that I have gotten on the highway in the wrong direction. Not only am I going in the wrong direction, but the next exit is 12 miles away! Ah! This trip is going to steal some valuable shopping time.
I finally reach the exit and get back on the highway going in the right direction this time. As soon as I get back on, my gas light comes on. Remembering a Dateline episode where the guy drove his van 30 miles with the gas light on, I knew I'd be okay. I get back to the mall and do my shopping. Upon leaving the mall, I decided that I would get gas at the station where I turn to go home. It would most likely be cheaper than the stations in the busy mall area. I get to that road and find the station to be closed down! And apparently, not just closed down, but boarded up even. I'm in trouble, I thought. There is no station the rest of the way home!
I figured I could probably make it home and turned my odometer to zero to see how far it was and to expect when I'd be in trouble. Then, DETOUR! Yep - the street I take home - the only street home - was closed part-way and the kind construction folks left me with a detour that took me round and about streets I'd never been on only to come back to my original street. While these four miles were being added on, I realized that my phone was dying - and my car charger was in Jake's car. If I ran out of gas, I was really in trouble!
I prayed the rest of the way home and managed to text Jake my location right as my phone died. Thankfully, he'd at least know where to look for me! I kept praying that I'd just make it home. And then, as I watched the needle get closer to "E", I prayed that I could just get into my neighborhood. Amazingly, God answered that prayer! I turned into our neighborhood and my van just stopped. Ka-dunk! I actually thought to myself, It doesn't sputter like it does in cartoons! It gives you no warning! Yeah - because the orange warning light that followed you for the last 30 miles wasn't warning enough!
Anyway, I was so thankful I made it into our neighborhood and wasn't stranded on the street! God is so gracious! I couldn't help but have a smile on my face as I walked home to tell Donna all about my morning - and to ask if I could borrow her vehicle to get some gas! I did get some gas, moved my van from the poor old lady's driveway it died in and lived to tell about my first ever experience of running out of gas!
Lessons learned:
1) It's wise to always have your cell phone charger with you
2) It's wiser still to stop at the first gas station you come upon
3) It's probably wisest to not be yacking on the phone so you were going the right direction the whole time to begin with and didn't waste gas on 24 unnecessary miles!
The best thing to come from it though? I got Laina a really, really, really cute dress for her pictures!
Really. How cute is this? She will coordinate with Maurah and Hayden's dresses and they will look so adorable! I can't wait to have my friend Amee take the kids' pictures next Thursday! And I promise to keep my cell phone off for that drive!
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