My Traveling Errand Day

It is (past-due) time for another installment of the Traveling series!  If you have missed My Traveling Kitchen and My Traveling Laundry Day you can view those articles by clicking on the in-text links!

Today I wanted to answer my 4th most asked question, "How do you run errands".  Yes, I know, I skipped the third (which is, "How do you shower?").  But last time I wrote I promised to explain the cart and errands!  The errand question is asked less because many assume we can just drive the RV to do errands, which, hypothetically, we can.  It is usually after someone realizes that a) driving a big RV around (and fuel economy) is not quite so easy -or- b) while in Phoenix we didn't think we would even make it anywhere... then the questions come out.

Yes, that was one of the HUGE miracles of making it back into Montana.  After RV troubles in Tennessee and professional diagnoses we knew it was a miracle when we made it to Phoenix let alone back North.  We were nervous to drive anywhere in Phoenix because we were told we had carburetor issues that would need to be addressed or we would find ourselves broke down again (issues were never addressed and God worked a miracle so we could make it 1400 more miles... and it is still running strong!)

Add to the dilemma that "parked" mode is much different then "driving" mode when everything needs to be buckled down inside lest it falls all over the place as you take corners and hit bumps!  Then there is setting up and taking down stabilizing jacks.  It is a few hour process whenever we venture out! We are getting to be pretty pro at this though!

So.... while in Phoenix, God blessed us with a GREAT location only half a mile from a grocery store, library, Dollar General, Post office, etc.  Walking was a breeze!

We started by just hitting feet to the pavement.  We quickly realized this wasn't the best way to grocery shop though.  Even if all of us went and carried a few bags back.... groceries can be heavy and carrying bags so far is exhaustive!

I lamented how it would be nice to have one of those upright carts you see in big cities... the kind older ladies often pull along with their groceries in them and are easy for getting off-and-on buses with.  But the budget wouldn't allow such a purchase so we went for second best:

a pull-along suitcase that had been given to us just before we left Tennessee!  It worked great for putting groceries in and strapping on top of.  Add to the mix a back-pack on each of our backs and we could easily walk a week's worth of groceries back from the store.

The down-side, even for kids, was the back-ache of it all... literally!  I suffer from chronic pain and it was taxing me physically also. 

Enter the cart.

Yes, I mentioned it last week.  I fought it at first.  Locals had abandoned it and two others on the church property.  We confiscated this one from neighborhood kids who were using it as a battering-ram against the church doors!  My husband insisted we go 'bag-lady' style.  And I would be lying if I said I wasn't embarrassed at first... because I was.  As a matter of fact, I had Brenden push it that first day because I couldn't bring myself to.

Then, I was ashamed for my embarrassment.  The fact is, sometimes we have to do - what we have to do.  I recognized I needed to stuff pride, strap on humility, and open myself up to new experiences.  And what a world and so many new faces opened before my eyes when I did.

As the weeks passed and we continued to use the cart weekly (and all our backs thanked us for shifting the load of groceries and library books to the cart) I found more ease in this form of "transportation".  As a matter of fact, we passed others on the street equal to our age who were also pushing carts to carry their wears on errand day!  And it came in especially handy when we finally began running to the laundromat just around the corner.

Where we are now does not have such convenient proximity to our needs.  We are blessed with the use of cars and rides to obtain groceries and wash laundry.  But I will not soon forget our time in Arizona, living in the RV strapped to one spot and finding my humility pushing a shopping cart a mile + round-trip to accomplish errands and tasks I once took for granted behind the wheel of a car!  Sometimes I even miss that cart and the noisy street, cool sites and new faces!
 

Where are you fighting humility?  Where are you nervous to step out?  I think often of how much God opened me up to others when I finally submitted to pushing a grocery cart down the road in a big city.  The people I was able to talk to and try to reach out to all because of something so simple.  It is funny how the simple things have the biggest impact when we ourselves assume it takes the BIG things to make a difference!

I pray you are able to say no to pride today and embrace humility for the sake of Christ and the experiences and interactions He is calling you to!

Blessings,

 

  

 

 

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