Great is My Faithlessness

The day started off with me squaring off with Batzilla. I was preparing to go to Rapid for a few hours to buy school supplies for my classroom and also get my oil changed and repair my tire. I arose relatively early and planned to be out the door and started on my two hour trek by 8:00. Well, Batzilla had other plans and decided to make his presence known in my house. Now, I have an unnatural fear of bats--in particular, I am afraid of them landing in my hair or giving me rabies. So, the fact that this bat was swooping around in my apartment was NOT okay. I immediately dialed 911--aka my home--and asked my mom what I should do. She informed that I had to slay the brutal beast. If I had had a BB gun, this would have been no problem. However, crushing the skull of a living thing with a broom is just too cold for me. I simply couldn't do it. I through several shirts at Batzilla, attempting to stun him. Finally my trusty soccer jersey surrounded him and I was able to trap him in a bucket and set him free outside. Elated that I had not had to endure the trauma of being a bat-slayer, I left for Rapid about an hour late.

Now, to understand how stressful my day was, the reader needs to know that I have very, very little experience driving in cities. Furthermore, the fact that I was driving a manual truck made the situation even more critical. I was super nervous and had no idea where I was going. I drove around the outer limits of Rapid for about 30 minutes before I accidentally found the Teacher's Outlet store. I was there for about and hour and shelled out an appallingly amount of mulah before heading to Wal-Mart.

I hate Wal-Mart even more than driving in cities. I have found it to be one of the most depressing places in America. Consumerism, greed, poverty,exploitation, racism--all meet together in an ugly combination at this store. So why do I shop there, do you ask? Simply because I cannot afford to buy the needed school supplies anywhere else. (This, of course, is merely an excuse which I need to repent of). This day was particularly bad as all the children were in the store buying school supplies--eyes wide with new-stuff-lust and parents staggered about, horrified at the cost of the items in their carts. I was more like the parents--$20 for an electric pencil sharpener???!!! $10 for Sharpie Markers??!! At times I was throwing items into the cart and I looked like a very disgruntled teacher indeed. Meanwhile, my truck was getting its oil changed and was undergoing an examination for a leaking tire. Combine this with the odious task of grocery shopping, I was practically shaking with stress.

It took two hours for me to get out of Wal-Mart. By that time I had managed to learn that someone had let the air out of my tire in Kyle, it was expensive to eat and teacher's are underpaid....

Toting two carts, I shoved all the stuff I had bought into my burning hot truck and prepared to leave...but I couldn't find my truck key. I had taken it off the ring when the oil was getting changed. I looked and looked, sweated and sweated and got really angry when I step in gum. As I lifted up my shoe in disgust, I bent over to examine the damage--only then did I see my truck key only the vehicle. Hmmm....

I was about to flee Rapid and return to the rural bliss of Kyle when I noticed that there was something seriously wrong with my phone. Spewing words of hate at my electronic device, I drove like a mad woman to the nearest Verizon dealer. I waited 20 minutes to find out that my manufacture guarantee had expired. I admit, a little tear slid down my cheek as my frustration leaked out. To make a long story shorter, I spent over 1.5 hours in Verizon securing another phone. My mommy graciously gave me her free phone update in exchange for the update I would receive in April. New phone in tote, I finally left Rapid City and headed home.

I tried to analyze my feelings on the way home, but I surmised that they bordered on self-pity, so I stopped the self-reflection stuff. Instead, I glumly thought about all the money I had spent that day and wondered if I would have to move into the teepee that borders my school...

And then God hit me. I can't explain specifically how because the details shall distract from the glory. I will say that I looked into the ash tray of my truck for the first time in about two months. In it, I found money--a lot of money. When I arrived home, I walked into my living room and fell on my knees before the Lord--so humbled. It was if the Lord was gently chastising me and reminding me that He always provides and that it is just money. I am honored to serve Him and for once in my life, I need to realize that it is not about me.

He is so amazing.

P.S. I am not anywhere near living in poverty. A single person living on a teacher's salary in SD generally gets along quite nicely if he or she has a shred of wisdom.