A Very Special Birthday Present

The huge tree right next to my driveway DIED. It's been dead a long while (perhaps years) and through various storms and high winds branches have fallen off of it until it was just a huge VERY TALL post sticking up at the edge of my driveway. I'd look at it and the way it was leaning and I'd think, "One of these days that tree is going to come down and fall right across my drive way, and it's going to "pin me in" because there would be no way I could move it. 

I've been expecting it to come down in some strong storm.



So I started praying about it. Whenever I'd look up at it and notice the way it was pitched, I'd pray, Lord, please bring that tree down so that it won't trap me in my driveway.... and make me late for work... or late for church... or some such...



Wednesday, my birthday, I had to work late because of this new thing they are pushing at work about getting every bit of the freight out the day it comes in.  I left work at 6:20 and when I got home, it was raining, but that was okay because I was able to pull right up onto my patio, run in,  and change out of my blue work shirt, wash off a bit, and leave immediately for church.

When I came home from church tonight THAT TREE WAS LYING RIGHT ACROSS THE ENTRANCE OF MY DRIVEWAY... with just enough room for me to pull my car in and park and be out of the road.


PRAISE THE LORD.


I did not get blocked in.  I was not going to have to worry anymore about that. 


I do not have to be at work early tomorrow, so I may be able to round up someone to cut it up for me, but even if I have a hard time finding someone to cut it up for me, it won't matter, because I have just enough parking space for my car. I can get out.


And the rain had stopped. So, even though I couldn't pull up under the patio, in the short walk up the driveway, I did not get soaked.


Strange thing is, there was NOT even a big storm. Just a light rain tonight. 

Thank you Lord. VERY nice Birthday Present from you. 

You made me feel very special by taking care of it on my birthday.

If you're wondering why a "dead" tree has all those green leaves,
I'll enlightened you. The tree was covered in POISON IVY vines.
I thought about trying to see if I could tug it out of the road
and realized I'd end up with a HUGE case of poison ivy
if I even touched it.

By the way, I got some other "very special" birthday presents two. My older brother, Fred, saw that I needed new tires on the front of my car and bought me two plus giving me enough cash to go out to eat. My other brother, Davis, bought me a "weed eater" that has an electric starter because I can't jerk the cord to start the other kind. My co-workers brought me some wonderful goodies to eat and share with everyone else. I love the spinach dip that one co-worker makes, so she brought that and gave me extra to bring home. Another one brought various cheeses and crackers and fruit snacks. (She usually buys everyone a cake, but I headed her off on that one by saying, "Shelia, I know you're always so thoughtful on everyone's birthday to bring a cake, so if you decide to bring something for me on my birthday, I'd rather it be spinach dip and crackers. Faye, the other co-worker, had brought some that day and I was sampling it.)


Josh and Tesia gave me a gift card to my favorite restaurant and went out with me to enjoy it.


Note: On Saturday we had a get-together at Jef and Jeni's celebrating both my and my older brother's birthdays. Jef and Jeni took care of all the details of that celebration.


There were numerous other ways my day was made special. But, it really made me feel very good that God answered my prayer about the tree on my birthday. I felt like it was "the cloud the size of a man's hand" to show He's very much aware of me and what's going on and that He will also take care of another situation I'm praying about.