Pump the Brakes

Let me set the scene for you. Bible Study Mama and I journeyed to Tacoma, Washington last April to visit Bible Study Brother and Canae. We had not seen them in person in seven months. Our face to face reunion was long overdue. I spent quite a bit of time compiling a list activities, and restaurants, that we could enjoy while we were all together. We were only there for 4 days and I wanted to fill our days making memories and having new experiences.

Our first adventure was riding a ferry to an island. Listen….I watch Grey’s Anatomy regularly and having ferries right there was too tempting to pass up. I consulted the schedule and let them know what time the boat would be departing. We piled in the car. Bible Study Brother noted that he had about 40 miles of gas left in his tank. Then he said we should be good. ***screech*** (That was me pumping the brakes on his statement).

Granted, the island was small. But being that close to “E” did not sit well with me. And while I thought they would have gas stations on the island, who knows how expensive they would be?? We would miss the ferry if we stopped to gas up, but I was willing to wait around for the next ferry. I did not want to get stranded. Or have to push a car. We stopped to gas up and then headed towards the ferry. Bible Study Brother cleared his trip odometer to see how many miles we actually would travel. Would it be more than 40? Or was I being extra?

Since we missed the previous ferry, we got a great spot in line for the next ferry. We watched the massive boat head back towards us after all the cars exited on the island. Our turn was quickly approaching. Bible Study Brother pulled into the belly of the boat and we were on our way.

The experience was surreal. I am accustomed to enormous cruise ships that hold thousands of people. But I am not accustomed to sitting in a car on a boat while crossing a large body of water. The cars were packed in tightly so there was not much space between cars. While I was excited, I was also ready for some fresh air. The tight car space meant that we could only exit from the driver’s side. No problem. I climbed over the arm rest and we made our way upstairs.

The view was worth the delay. The view was worth the contortionist act and sliding between cars. The sky was a vibrant blue. The clouds a stunning white. And the trees were showcasing emerald leaves. God was showing out that day. Our time soaking in the view was short lived because the ferry was quickly approaching the island. And I needed time to contort myself back into the passenger seat.

We could have made the first ferry, but I’m not built like that. When going into an unknown situation, I want to be as prepared as possible. I do not want to go in already almost on empty. I like to be as close to full as possible. There are too many variables at play in life. I did not blog for such a long time because I was close to empty and did not want to risk running out. So I had to pump the brakes. But I’m back now. I have been filled. The good Lord was kind to me and made sure that I received all that I needed to press on.

I’m sure you want to know how many miles we traveled while on that island. Was Bible Study Brother correct? I’ll fill you in on Tuesday. Our adventure was just beginning. #wepreach