Blessed Beyond Measure!!!!

When you wake up in the morning and move into the day, you never know what the day will hold.  And sometimes it doesn't matter how much preparation you make, twists and turns come.

Last Tuesday, June 22, our family loaded up the van and trailer and headed to the mountains of PA to a state park we have enjoyed for the last 13 years.  Monday night I checked all the tires and loaded the camping gear onto the trailer as best I could. 

We were 160 miles into our trip... traveling at 65 miles an hour on Rt. 83.... begining to head down a steep hill when I heard a sound I didn't like.  I glanced back in the rear view mirror and nothing seemed out of order, so we went on... the sound got louder and louder, so I pulled off the road on the right shoulder.  Only to discover the trailer tire pictured below, in the condition it was in.  What to do?  I had a spare, so, I preceeded to change the tire.  But, the lug wrench for the van didn't fit the lugs on the trailer!  So, now what?  No choice but to chock the wheels and unhitch the trailer and go buy a new tire or lug wrench or?  So, being on a STEEP down hill, where truck were wizzing by at 65 plus miles an hour, I took my flip flops off and chocked the good wheel and then jumped the gaurd rail, down a steep enbankment and up a hill to get a fallen tree to place under the trailer tires in the hopes that the trailer would not break away down the hill while we were gone.  Unhitched and then began the task of finding a place to get the needed supplies.

Turns out we were just 6 miles from Shrewsberry PA where I knew there was a Walmart.  I intended to buy two new tires and a lug wrench.  So, onward we went... praying the whole way that the trailer didn't run away down the hill and smash to peices or kill someone!  As we pulled off the interstate at the Shrewsberry exit, I said to Sharon, "I wish they had a Tractor Supply here"  and when I looked up, there to the right was a brand new Tractor Supply... we changed lanes and went in got the last 2 trailer tires and a 4 way lug wrench... spent $115 and south on the interstate we went.  To our relief,  the trailer was still there... but the tractor trailer ahead of us was running off the shoulder more than staying in the lane... we were all sure it would hit our trailer in front of our very eyes.  But thankfully it didn't!  So, we pulled off and backed UP the hill to hitch the trailer (no small feat!) and then I set about changing the tire.... thankful it was on the guardrail side away from traffic but very aware that everytime a truck passed the trailer shook!  And in no time, we were back on the road.

So many things to be thankful for in that story!  All we could do was thank God for his blessing beyond measure!