i was driving to an appointment last week and was struck by the beauty of the transformation of the mountains changing colors for the season. while driving, i was also praying for a friend who was having surgery to remove cancer. and it struck me, "God, you are the mountain mover." move this mountain for her. eradicate it from her body and her story and her kid's story.
i went on to my appointment and stopped thinking about the beauty of the brown mountains, but the promise of God being the mountain mover lingered in my mind.
this week, my girl was ready to get her license. i had heard that it was easier if we drove to san jose instead of going to our local dmv. and so off we went to get the license. she was nervous as we drove and annoyed with me because i got a call and was on the phone. because i was talking to my sister, i missed the view along the way. that could be a whole different post, right? the things we miss because our lives have so many options and distractions and how our choices take us down paths of opportunity and loss. by picking up the phone, i got to talk to my sister which is always a good choice. she is uplifting and thoughtful and connecting to her always fills my soul. but in choosing that (which is good), i also lost out on alone time with ellie (and missing that is not good). i digress, though. this post is not about that.
we rocked out the dmv 2020 style and social distanced our way through the various stations. and then came the hard part. e handed me the folder with all her documents and we parted ways. she went into the testing area and i took a spot off in a corner where "waiting" was appropriate. while i waited for her to take the test, i decided to rock out a chapter in my devotional, trying to be intentional with time that could have been wasted used for something good.
i finished my reading just as she finished the grading portion of the test. i wasn't sure she would see me so i made my toward her as she walked out. i was trying to read her eyes but because of the mask, i couldn't tell if she was happy or not. when she and i reached each other from the opposite corners of the dmv, she shared the good news that she had passed. i was so happy for her. these rights of passage often catch me by surprise and trip me up. i didn't used to be a crier but sometimes a tear or two slip out when my eldest reaches a milestone moment.
after wiping the tear, off we went. unknowingly, leaving the folder with all the documents on the counter where i had been waiting.
it wasn't until a few hours after i got home that it dawned on me, i had no idea where the folder was. a sick feeling took over. i don't lose stuff, typically. my hubs was not going to be a fan of this mistake. ellie's entire identity was in the folder- birth certificate, two household bills with full address, and social security card. you know, no big deal. ugh.
after a quick look in the car and house, i jumped in the car. i had this sinking feeling that in my excitement to see if e had passed, i had left it on the counter in the corner of the dmv. and so off to san jose i went. 40 minutes later (a covid no traffic win- if there is such a thing), i arrived at the dmv to learn that my papers were nowhere to be found. ugh.
on my way back down the highway to the dmv, this time alone, the mountains spoke to me again. a peace settled into my soul as i remembered the truth that God is in the business of moving mountains. as i drove to the dmv, i wondered if the mountain he was moving was identity theft for my girl. i wondered if it was something else that i wasn't even aware of yet. wonder at the awe of God is always smile inducing.
after my "no" from the dmv, a peace settled over my soul. i can say with certainty, that i just handed over my worry and my "what ifs" to the mountain mover. it was out of my hands.
i arrived home and apologized to the hubs for being so careless and to my girl for the same. scott was gracious and e made funny jokes about maybe someone stealing her identity and applying for credit so she could tap into it since she only has $3 in her bank account.
today, i woke up to my phone ringing. on the other end was sandeepa calling to tell me she had my folder with all of its contents intact. what? for reals.
nobody stole e's identy (causing her to continue to have a tight cash flow, much to her dismay) and nobody threw a random folder sitting on a counter in the dmv into the nearest trash can (which would have caused me years of worry and unknown). and sweet sandeepa, instead of putting it into lost and found for me to retrieve, called yesterday's on-site manager to ask if anyone had come looking for it. and that simple act of kindness led her to my number. which led me to peace of mind.
and so today, i grabbed e, and asked for a do-over. instead of talking to my sister while driving to the dmv, i talked to her. we talked about college, and driving and mountains and the mountain mover. it was a good day.
it was actually a great day. and now i am left wondering what other mountains my God is going to move. he's moved cancer for kendra, and identity theft for e, and spousal abuse for me (just kidding. just kidding.) and he gave me a re-do on my drive time with e, an extra drive where i could marvel at california brown mountains and also gave me a call with my encouraging sister stace.
i mean, could a girl ask for more?
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