Overcoming Car Sickness

Isn’t being carsick a terrible feeling? Growing up, I remember getting car sick traveling through the mountains of North Carolina on our way to Lumberton, my Mom’s home. On occasions, Mom would give me Dramamine, although I’m not sure if it was really for car sickness or simply to knock me out! I recall dreading this portion of the trip because I never knew if it would hit me or not. It was unpredictable.  I never knew what the curves through the mountains would bring me. However, once I arrived to Lumberton, I always enjoyed playing with my cousins, exploring the swamp, hanging out at Margie’s house, and going to my cousin Billy's convenient story where he always greeted me as “Kelly Springfield” (and I still don’t know why!). 

I think most of you would agree that we don’t like being unsure of what the immediate future will bring. Life certainly has its unknown curves, twists, and bends. If you have had the pleasure of knowing my Mother, you know that she has battled many health issues along her journey. Her prognosis has never been positive. My Mom and Dad moved to Clinton when I was 6 so he could become the pastor of First Baptist Church. When he interviewed with the search committee, he had to confess their current situation. Mom had been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Scleroderma. The prognosis was not uplifting. If it continued to progress, my Dad would be the single father of 2 small children. It was very important to him that he was completely honest with the church regarding their current state. Graciously, the church had faith that this is where God wanted our family to be. Mom and Dad did not know what the immediate future held, but they took a leap of faith and kept living. They continued driving through the curves.

Luckily, the scleroderma has remained in remission over the years. However, Mom’s health issues have always given them a different perspective on life. They were ready to tackle the twists of life, taking nothing for granted. They traveled to Hawaii, flew to Europe, hiked with friends, took beach trips, continued to travel to North Carolina, bought a house in Jonesboro (a place they still hold close to their heart) and in Greenville (Dad’s mother’s house), rented cabins with friends, got up early to see sunrises, completed mission work in New Zealand, and the list goes on and on. Mom and Dad knew that they could not predict what God had in store for them, but they knew that He wanted them to live, experience life, and trust HIS plan.

For those of you who know, Mom has continued to battle multiple health issues. At this time, it has affected her mobility and her ability to socialize on the level in which she prefers. Dad continues to battle Parkinson’s and permanent PHN from shingles. However, his mind is still sharp as a tack! He often tells me that he is so thankful that he made it a priority to do the things he wanted to do when they were able. He is so thankful that he didn’t wait to experience all the joys of life in his later years.

As they continue to be troopers, never knowing what the next day holds, they live with no regrets. I can only imagine how “carsick” they became when they were delivered the news that Mom would possibly not be with us past her 30’s. They both could have easily given in at this moment, but they didn’t! They drove through the mountains, embracing all the twists and turns. They didn’t try to play God, predicting what the ultimate outcome would be. They knew it could have played out a multitude of ways. But until the plan is fully disclosed, they continue to live.

Scott and I found ourselves in a “carsick” situation this last spring when he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his retina.  This type of cancer is so rare, they do not do treatments in the East TN area. So we set off on a journey for 9 days in Memphis for treatment.  For those of you who have walked the journey of cancer, you know the exact roller coaster this presents. Five years of CT scans, blood work, an unknown future, and the list goes on and on. Only people who have experienced this know how this changes your life. Scott and I naturally wanted to close ourselves up and play the “wait and see” game. But we kept reminding ourselves of the lesson to be learned from the “Baptist Rabbi” and his wife. Crossing the mountains is tough work. It’s unpredictable. There will be moments of car sickness; moments when we just want to take the Dramamine and sleep through until we get to our ultimate destination. But instead of wasting our time and energy trying to predict God’s plan, we will continue living, doing the good work He has set us to do. He is already there on the other side of the mountain, earnestly desiring us to live life to the fullest through all the unexpected bends of uncertainty.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for living your life as an example of how to live in peace with God's plan.