Fun with $20 Bucks and a broken U-Haul

Thursday, December 28, 2006


So what had happened was

After three days of solid cross country driving, I get to Phoenix, but I only had $20 and 1/2 a tank of gas left, NOT enough to get me to San Diego.

I stopped at my sisters and returned a map at Staples ($25.00 more for gas!!!) and my sister gave me $20, so I filled up my tank and was on my way, thinking IF I was lucky (SORRY MARTIN, can't find a good replacement for that word...) Okay wait, IF God was watching my back....(Better!) I might be able to coast into San Diego, (I was still six hours away)

Yeah- so two hours later, I am driving through the desert and listening to a c.d. that my friend Noel gave me, and the song is talking about "Its over now, the storm is over now, I feel like I can make the storm is over now" and I think , "well God, I sure felt like that at the Home of Grace, but I am not so confidant about making it to San Diego, but I trust you //>>../// . . //// . /// ... // . . . . . . __________

Clank, whir, buzz, lights flashing on the dash.... Nothing but the sound of a u-haul coasting...

the truck breaks down

In The middle of the desert

Two hours from my sister

4 hours from San Diego

My cell phone died somewhere in Texas

I CAN'T FIND THE BLEEPING HAZARD LIGHTS!!!!!!!

As I am coasting to a stop, BEFORE I could start to (REALLY) panic about my cell phone being dead and me being on the side of the road,

"Aaaallllllrighty then God!!!! what now? Show me what you got up your sleeve "

I was only half serious

BEFORE I even finished praying for help I see the Arizona Department of Transportation truck pulling in beside me. God had it covered.

Do you know how many times in the bible God answers prayer BEFORE people even finish praying???

Me neither, but its like A LOT!!!!

Upshot.....Miquel (The ADOT Guy) calls U-haul, takes me to a restaurant to wait for the tow truck guy,

Dennis (The tow truck guy) drives me to u-haul (60 miles closer to home, thank you Lord for gas I didn't use)

They end up having to put me in a new truck. (Good times with the u-haul guys re-load my truck....as they evaluated me by the contents of my truck!!)

It was a bigger truck, MUCH BIGGER, I knew I wasn't going to make it home now. PLUS it had less gas than the other truck when it broke down. )

Umm God, You Still There?? Remember me, Tiff, in the desert, child of the most high??? Hello??

Let's just say I took matters BACK into my own hands and used every bit of the interpersonal relational, communication skills I learned at the H.O.G. (Thanks Doc Shrop! Oops, mighta forgot about the trusting God part though)

I managed to get them to agree to give me $20.00 worth of gas.(to make up for the difference in the tank not the mileage)

The difference in mileage was 8 miles to the gallon and I was 232 miles from home, ( Hello??? That's a lot of gas!)

At this point I was guaranteed to be of running out of gas in the mountains and for sure gonna miss Brennan's singing debut at his school. PLUS there was a catch, I had to go to another u-haul place for them to give me the gas.

Not enough.

Not gonna make it home...

Okay Plan B- Tiffany Style.....

(So much for trusting God....)

I get the next u-haul place. (40 more miles down the road now I am down to less than 1/4 tank- Where's Ben Tilley and his Hybrid smug smugginess?) I am thinking I can ask them to fill up the whole tank and put it on the credit card used to reserve the truck, (Which is a very good plan I think, except my Dad might be upset at the extra charge, notso good- but I was willing to risk it.)

Turns out, They don't have a gas tank pump there, they are going to re-imburse me for the gas.

"AARGGHHHH why couldn't they have done that at the other place before I traipsed all over Arizona!!!! "

I asked the guy Nathan calmly-I think I am being nice about it, but at this point in my post-alchohalic journey I am well aware my idea of nice might not be as nice as I think it is.. I might just be shrieking so high pitched internally dogs are running....

not gonna make it home

NOT gonna make it home.

I was trying not to cry. Didn't cry but you could tell I wanted to so that didn't work out so much (Way to keep the tears in check tiff,<---insert sarcasm here--> again, thanks Doc! but I might need more classtime)

NOT gonna make it home.

I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE IT HOME AND I WILL BE STUCK IN THE DESERT AND I AM GONNA DIE ALONE AND COLD... IN A DESERT... WHICHISNOTHOTINDECEMBER ITISVERYCOLD..... IGOTOUTTAREHABAND NOW I AM GONNA DIE....

breathe...

be....

still.

and know.

I AM GOD!!!

God kinda had a plan all along, but as per my usual- I thought I had a better one.

Except, my plan wasn't working at all.

It just got me back in the same position I was in before the breakdown...

Which is the story of my life.

While I was coming to this realization at the gas station.... God was still working the plan he had all along.

I am not even sure what happened while I was off getting the gas, but when I came back Nathan comes in, hands me my $20 bucks, doesn't say a word

He tells me to get in the truck we are going for a ride, (whuh???? THINK TIFF, Okay..lessons I learned at the H.O.G.: follow directions even if you don't understand, just listen, don't argue...)

So I get in ,

(Still no explaination, the man is eerily silent.... Way NOT like me!!!!)

I don't say a word as he drives to the gas station,

jumps out and FILLS MY TANK UP WITH GAS!!!!

THEN he takes me back to u-haul, has a team of guys check my fluids, fill my tires, while he PUTS A LOCK on the truck for me.

Oh yeah and he had his guys wash the windows too. I can see now, not the road, but that I am gonna make it HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I love you Nathan you're my Christmas hero!)

The only thing he said to me was "okay you're all set" and when I tried to shake his hand he grimaced and held them up because they were dirty. I told him I didn't care and shook them anyway, I would have hugged or kissed him if the fear of Ms. Betty and the H.O.G. man Police hadn't made me so skittish around men, I was afraid they'd find out...

seriously... really. I'm not lying....

ok well maybe a little exaggeration, but I would have liked to have hugged him! I was too shy. (YEAH RIGHT!)

So it looks like God got me home. (I love you Jesus YOU are my true Christmas hero!!! Thanks for letting Nathan in on your gig!)

I was giddy. He told me I could trust him and I can.

Sometimes help doesn't come in the package we expect, sometimes its a truck breaking down in a desert, or me breaking down and going to re-hab, God gets it and he really takes good care.

Above and beyond care.

Not just getting you there care, but pressed down shaken together and overflowing care....

Meeting our needs in excess care....

So Yeah, I made it home with $20 in my pocket AND half a tank of gas, just in time to cruise into my son's school and hear him sing.... About the goodness og God....

It was awesome...

he waved at me from the stage,

We cried and hugged each other for like ten minutes in the middle of the room while people stared at us like we were insane..

It didn't bother us though because we are a bit crazy sometimes. We are children of the MOST high God. and HE made us that way. He pretty much rocks my world.

So that's my story and I am sticking to it