Richard and I visited family in North Carolina last week. Both of our families are there. I grew up in North Carolina where the summers were long, hot and summer vacation seemed to last forever when I got out of school. I was the barefoot, long brown-haired, little girl that you might see running around everywhere I went -if you were to travel down Route 3, which was a dirt road back then. I spent a lot of days at Grandma's listening to her hum while she cooked and eating raw pie crust from pies she would make. I loved playing with my cousins for endless hours during the days. We would play until the lightning bugs came out. About that time, I'd hear Mama calling for us. I also loved staying with Nanny and Papa. My sister, Monica and my cousin, Kelly would go get in the bed with Papa where we'd beg him to tell us stories of the "old days" while Nanny warmed up the house and made pancakes and bacon.
Richard was born in Florida, but moved to North Carolina when he was seven. In his younger days, with messy blond hair and big blue eyes, he wore nothing but his favorite Tarzan underwear that his mother made for him and spent most of his time in the woods with his dogs, or at the creek below his house catching snakes! He was a rambler just like me... Richard and I had much in common back then although we didn't know it. We lived 20 minutes apart, went to different schools, but we didn't meet until I was 14 and he was 16. That was the day the Earth stood still...... Richard and I quickly fell in love. I'm writing it now and even as an adult I know that what we felt was real. Our dating years was way before cell phones and text messages. We had to do all that the hard way. When Richard sent me a text it was in the form of a hand written letter in an empty Hardees cup thrown out into Mama's flower bed as he drove by. He'd have to wait till he got home to call me to tell me it was there. We were married at the ripe old ages of 17 and 19... I don't know what we were thinking, but we couldn't be happier. We had our fair share of hardship when the honeymoon wore off and real life took hold of us. I wrote on generational sin in another post. We struggled the first five years of our marriage, but the Lord Jesus Christ had new plans...
Another thing that has happened since I last blogged was that we flew into Raleigh and visited Richard's mother, sister and brother for a few days, then we drove to Elkin to see my mother, sister, niece and the rest of my family. My aunt Betsy had a "get together" for us, which is the southern term for: Being surrounded by all the people you love all in one place for a certain period of time!! She invited everyone to her pool and almost everyone came. It was so nice seeing everyone and catching up on life. Our visit with Richard's family was just wonderful as well! It's always so great spending time with family.... I have the best family and I miss them terribly.
Before we left Wisconsin, we knew that Stephan and Rainey were going camping. They were going with three others; two 18 years olds and a 19 year old. Stephan is 22 and Rainey is 19.... I offered Stephan some advice before he left. One bit of advice was an idea I found on Pinterest of how to make cinnamon rolls in an orange peel on an open fire... The other bit of advice was not to buy beer for under age kids. --I also tagged a little- "I have been the parent of an under age child "(YOU)" that has had alcohol purchased for him BY someone old enough to drink it and I didn't appreciate it!... Don't be that person!" on the end of that sentence.
Well................. do I even need to finish this post? As Richard and I were getting into bed at his mother's house he said that Stephan had texted him to tell him that their trip had been cut short. In an explosive text, Stephan wrote explaining how mad he was, because they bought all this food, drove 4-5 hours to this camp ground in Michigan, spent $60.00 on a camp site for two nights only to be kicked out the very first night! The details:
1. He bought beer.
2. Rainey and the three other's were under age.
3. It was a family camp ground (lights out at 10.)
4. They were loud.
5. Someone complained.
6. Park Rangers showed up.
7. Park Rangers found beer and wanted to see all of their driver's license.
8. Four of five of the kids got $267.00 tickets for under age drinking.
Stephan, as impossible as it seems, didn't get any kind of ticket and he's the one who bought the beer!
The Park Rangers took all the beer, put out their fire and told them to evacuate the next morning by a certain time. When we got back to Wisconsin and had to hear this story in person. The most unbelievable part was that Stephan and Rainey both were mad at the Park Rangers instead of their own selves! How in the world can it be anyone's fault but their own? It's apparent that they both still have a lot of maturing and growing to do. Lots.....
I have explained to Stephan over and over how the consequence of sin bleeds into our lives if we continue to feed the beast that cuts us over and over again, if we allow it to rule our lives! He still can't see that making a wise choice to JUST take food and soft drinks would have allowed him to have a really fun, Park Ranger free weekend.
I'm still praying for wisdom to come to him. He has to do the asking though... In the meantime, Rainey will not have rent again this month due to her $267.00 ticket. They got into a really bad fight last night and I'm only guessing it's over the rent. Stephan can't blame her solely.... They both drank a lot of their rent money! It's lessons like these that will hopefully allow them to start wanting wisdom for themselves. Maybe one day they will be sick of being broke. Maybe one day they will realize they are "broken" and in need of a savior. The landlord will definitely come knocking of they don't pay... That has thankfully never happened! Jesus knocks on the door of their hearts all the time. I hope one day soon- they will open it and begin living life for Him.
