Oh yes. I was living in a tent and attending an elementary school where I was a bit of a misfit. I was made fun of for my torn up shoes, my ratty hair, and my hand-me-down clothes. It was painful, but again, it was the necessary kind of pain that creates seriously funny people (ahem. like me).
Fast forward about twenty or so years and you’ve got me and my dear Eric living in a tiny apartment in what I affectionately called an “upper class ghetto”. My parents would occasionally go out of town and we would happily go to their home to watch their dog, water the plants, stretch our legs, and enjoy the tranquility of their acre+.
On one such occasion, Eric and I were in the backyard enjoying our morning coffee when he started to talk seriously about us moving out of our apartment. Our seats were facing the direction of Mom and Dad’s travel trailer. They had lived in it while remodeling their current house. Eric joked, “Wouldn’t it be so funny if we rented the travel trailer from your parents and just lived in their backyard?”
Soooo funny.
Long story stoopid: we moved into the travel trailer. It immediately became clear that it was a great idea and we all enjoyed the fun of being around each other, even if our new place made the old place look like a mansion in scope.
Shortly after we moved into the travel trailer, I was asked to speak at a Ladies Retreat for a local congregation. Being a bit of a drama queen (shocked? shouldn’t be), I decided to memorize the book of Ruth and present it dramatically (the link is to the youtube video of the presentation).
When I arrived at the retreat, there was a lovely card from a woman who said that she had been specially tapped to pray for me as I prepared for the retreat. Her name? Pam Hicks.
What?! Surely it can’t be… She lives hundreds of miles from here… What on earth….?
It was her. She looked just as I remembered her: big smile, lots of joy, and curly hair that won’t quit. I told her who I was and she searched her memory for a moment before saying, “I remember you! You’re family lived in a tent for a while. How are you doing these days?”
Hear me when I say this, America: I will never, and I mean NEVER, be able to express to you the comedic joy that I got out of my honest response. ”We’re doing great! I live in a travel trailer now!”
It was a fantastic weekend and Ms. Hicks was overwhelmingly supportive of my work. So much of my growing up years was hard, but so very necessary to form me into who I am. My work for that retreat was only powerful and available because I’ve been where life is hard and I get it. My testimony about redemption has no weight if there is no need to be redeemed.
The theme of that retreat, serendipitously enough, was “Redemption”. My ego was completely redeemed, my faithfulness rewarded, and the deliberate leading of my path confirmed. May you all be blessed with such a time as that.
Amy. That. Is. Brilliant! How did you ever stop laughing long enough to do anything for the rest of the weekend??
I managed. It was a great retreat and all the better with that moment of absolute confirmation that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Fan-tastic.
I laughed out loud and snorted at, ”We’re doing great! I live in a travel trailer now!”
My mom and sisters and I lived in a fifth wheel camp trailer for awhile.
It’s provided some awesome entertainment for folks over the last 17 years. Those were some very difficult times, for sure, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.