For those who’ve been here a while you know my brother is staying ie living with us. He still has his home in Oklahoma and he needed to go and check on it and mow the yard. As usual my sister had a million and one excuses as to why she couldn’t take Gerald.

David tried to get off on Wednesday but they needed him to be recertified so he couldn’t get off. This upset Gerald and made him a little made at David but it didn’t bother him when Debbie couldn’t go .

David tried to tell Gerald he needed to tires on the truck and we didn’t have the money to get them. Debbie paid for the car insurance on Gerald’s car and could have used his car which we can’t do.

David called his boss Stanley and he said David was going to have to work. Then he wasn’t going to have to work. Then he was going to have to work again. We just couldn’t seem to settle on a plan for getting Gerald to Oklahoma.

Then Charlie surprised me. He stepped up and said he would take Gerald. He even said he would see if Bradley would go with him. Honestly, that felt like a Godsend because it meant David could go to work and get a test he needed to have done.

I would be able to stay home and get my work done as well. Unless Charlie asked me to go the next morning. Which was a Godwink because everything seemed to fall into place that night.

But then I woke up that morning with a feeling I couldn’t explain. It was one of those strange feelings that only a mama can understand. I just felt like we were supposed to be the ones taking Junior. I couldn’t tell you why.

Maybe it was because Charlie didn’t have his driver’s license yet. Maybe it was because I know he likes to drive a little faster than he should. Maybe I was worried about him being on the freeway. Maybe I was afraid there could be a wreck.

Or maybe something was going to happen in Oklahoma because more times than not Gerald and Charlie don’t get along. I didn’t know. I just knew I didn’t feel right. And today, looking back, I thank God for giving me that feeling.

Because what we walked into in Oklahoma is something I will share in Part Two. That morning, I got up and went into Charlie’s room to wake him. I asked him, “Are you going to go with us?”

Charlie said no, mom I’m supposed to be taking Gerald. I said no, He said, “No, I think I’ll stay home.”

Charlie said no, mom I’m supposed to be taking Gerald. I said no, Dad was able to get off and he is driving. Charlie, “No, I think I’ll stay home “but you can use my car. Thank the LORD because we was going to have to even if it had upset Charlie.

And honestly, Charlie’s staying was fine. He had been up late the night before, and I wasn’t going to make him go because he would be there to take care of the dogs which was another Godwink.

So I started walking out of his room. And that’s when I found out Bradley had backed out at the last minute. Nobody had even told me. I stood there thinking about it for a minute. I wasn’t happy.

If Charlie had gone, he would have ended up going by himself unless I put my work on hold and rode with him. And I would have done that if I needed to. That’s what mamas do. Even though it puts me behind.

But lately, I’ve been having more and more panic attacks, and knowing Charlie would be driving on the freeway—and knowing how he sometimes drives—I just didn’t feel comfortable with it.

So I walked back into my bedroom and sat down on the bed. And then David said, “I’m almost ready, and we can leave.” I can’t really explain the relief I felt when he said those words.

I just breathed a sigh of relief. Because suddenly, I felt better. Maybe it wasn’t logical. Maybe I couldn’t explain it. But something inside me settled when I realized David and I were going to take Junior after all.

I went downstairs and told Junior I was going to run to QT to get a drink and a snack for Charlie. Since we were taking Charlie’s car, he wouldn’t have it there to run and get something himself, so I wanted to make sure he had something to eat and drink while we were gone.

And Junior seemed relieved too. He said, “I’m grateful that it’s y’all going. I would ride with Charlie. I just prefer that he have his driver’s license.” I understood exactly what he meant. And I agreed.

I’d also prefer Charlie slow that car down a little bit. But what am I? I’m just a mom. A mom who worries and a mom who sometimes gets that uneasy feeling in her stomach. A mom who doesn’t always know why she feels the way she does.

But God knew and I believe now that God knew exactly what we needed that morning. He knew that David and I needed to take Gerald to Oklahoma instead of Charlie. Being God he knew things that we couldn’t possibly know yet.

He knew what was waiting for us when we got there and he was already working out the details before we ever pulled out of the driveway. Which is why I’m so grateful, thankful, and blessed that we listened to that feeling and went.

I’m grateful that David took the time off to take us, even though it meant he was going to be late getting the test he needed to have done. It also meant his check would be short but I knew the LORD would provide for those who help themselves and that is what I’m going to believe on as he gets his check this week.

And even David’s work worked out because when David’s called his boss, and explained we needed to take a day-trip to Oklahoma. Stanley, understood. And that’s another little blessing I’m thankful for because David really does have a good boss.

Sometimes we look at a change of plans and think everything is going wrong. But sometimes a change of plans is exactly what God uses to put us where we need to be. That morning, I thought I was just being an uneasy mama.

Today, I believe God was nudging me. And when I look back at everything that happened after we left home, I can’t help but believe there was a reason He changed our plans. Part Two is where I’ll tell you what we walked into in Oklahoma—and why I’m even more convinced that God knew exactly what He was doing that morning.

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates