I honked at the "lucky tree" each time I went by it during my stay back in the Sunflower state last week. It's a special tree that one encounters on 96 highway heading east towards Wichita. Not sure how it got its name or the legend of honking for good luck as you pass by it came about. That part doesn't really matter. What does count is that you do it.
Plain and simple.
It had been several months since I had returned home and once again some of the very simplest of things tugged at my heart, like the sight of the robin's egg blue sky on Monday. The clouds were huge and white. They seemed to hang like massive marshmallows in the heaven's above me. They looked peaceful and good to see. It's not like I haven't seen a sky like that in Texas or even back in Colorado but when you see them in Kansas they just plain look different.
I routinely try do a few of the same kinds of things each time I return home. Things like making a trip to Bogey's in Hutch for a diet vanilla pepsi, even though I have mostly given up caffeine, is just one of those items on my "to do " list. This time I was able to go only once but at least I got to take a sip of that drink that used to be my favorite when I lived only just down the street a ways. I gassed up my car at my favorite convenience store on 17th street and bought a few supplies at the supermarket on West 5th Street that I have gone to for over 25 years back there. Routine seems kind of nice once in a while.
It was so good to see some of my family and dear friends back in Hutch and in Halstead. The miles that separate us now are much fewer and I will be sure to come home as much I am able to in the months and years that lie ahead of me. The GPS in my car was invaluable as I navigated traffic through Oklahoma City and beyond. I used to be so afraid of ever attempting to drive through major cities like that. Thankfully that has changed for me because there are lots of places that I wish to go and "home in Kansas" is one of them.
I brought back spices and tea aplenty from one of my favorite stores in Wichita. I parked underneath the noisy overpass and I shopped at Gander Mountain. Even though I didn't find what I wanted it's ok. I found other things there that made me happy and I stored them in my heart. Sometimes it is all about the journey. Really and truly, it is all about the journey.
When I returned home late Monday evening it was with a thankful heart that I had gotten back safe and sound. The good Lord watches over me and this I know. Even if I had encountered danger or trouble along the way, he would have still been there. He always is.
Mike, Crosby the cat, and Sally the dog were pretty much happy to see me arrive home again. I do believe they may have missed me. Many people back in Kansas asked me about how we liked it here. They wanted to know if we were doing ok or had any regrets about leaving the beautiful mountains of Colorado. I told them that we were doing just fine. Of course we miss the beauty of the San Juan mountains and the fact that the humidity was much more tolerable back there. I reminded them of all the people that we left behind who had been our friends and family. We miss them very much and the great experiences that knowing them brought to us.
We came here in faith with no job and no idea of where God was leading us. Every day that passed by us since our arrival in northern Texas has opened up the door a little further, showing us where we needed to be. People here in Texas have asked us many times how it was that we came to this part of the state to begin with. My answer is always the same and the perplexed look on their faces is pretty much priceless.
"Well, we opened up the atlas to Texas and looked at it for only a brief moment. We pointed to the area around Wichita Falls and said that was the place."
It was God's mighty finger pointing to Wichita County, Texas not ours and the nice thing is this.
We listened and we obeyed.
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