My life has been “out of order” lately; and this blog is as well. I got back from training camp a little over two weeks ago. You can see that I have not written a blog about it yet, and for that, I am a little disappointed with myself. But since I got back I have been going through a spiritual attack (notice it is not past tense). So the fact that I am writing now is already a way of combating it. I think what has happened since training camp is important enough to share it first.
On the way back from training camp, Kellie and Chaney dropped me off at my apartment and unloaded all my stuff. When I got in my roommate informed me that she had gotten some kind of scabies/mite/whatever at work (where and how this happened is not relevant for the purpose of this blog). I took all my world race gear back out and put it in my car; I gathered work clothes and anything I might need for, say, a week; I bagged up all my linens and put them tightly in trash bags (that’s supposed to kill this unknown “thing”). I talked to my roommate a little and then I started calling around trying to find a place to stay. My friend Chelsea said I could stay at her place that night so I slept on quite a comfortable couch at her apartment.
How long I would stay away from my apartment was yet to be seen. My roommate was fearful that I would get whatever she had because it seemed to be spread through contact. What is more, we didn’t really know what it was. So I decided not go back yet. My friend Leslie graciously allowed me to stay with her Sunday and Monday night (her roommate even said I could sleep in her bed because she was gone).
On the way to work Tuesday morning I rear-ender the car in front of me on the highway. The lady in that car got out and started yelling and cussing at me. I stayed in my car and called 911. Then I cried. The cops finally got there and took the police report etc., which took quite a while actually. The front of my car was smashed in a bit but it was hard to tell if there was any damage that would make it unsafe to drive. The car turned on so I talked to Rob and the cop and they said I could probably drive it the couple of miles I had left to work. So I did. As soon as I got into the parking lot at work the car started smoking under the hood and liquid started leaking everywhere. I smelled it and it was water – I'm pretty sure my car lost every drop there was. It goes without saying that it was not drivable anymore.
I filed a claim with my insurance company right after that, however no one called me back that day and there were so many things going on that I did not get a chance to call. There was a whole lot of confusion and chaos, but long story short, I did not get a rental car until Thursday night. So during those few days I was hitching rides to and from work with friends. By the end of the week my car was still sitting in the parking lot at work. Obviously the insurance company and I were having issues. I could not get my agent to respond back to me so I left my car at work over the weekend.
The next Monday I called the insurance company and told them about this communication problem. I talked to a really awesome lady who said, and I quote, “Let’s see if we can put some fire under someone’s pants.” The next morning I had a new insurance agent, several people from the company had already called to check in with me, and my car was picked up around 10am – almost exactly one week to the minute after I had the wreck. I still don't have my car back though.
All this is to say that the Holy Spirit was moving and God was working in everyone's life during training camp – including mine. That is why the enemy was fighting against me. He would not be attacking me spiritually if he did not consider me a threat, right? I was a little stressed during this time, but God kept me together in a way that I never could. Because of God's grace I did not respond with anxiety, like I normally would, but I was optimistic. I chose to see the circumstances lightheartedly, and as just another bump in the road.
"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come."
Proverbs 31:25
During that week particularly, and the next, I did not have enough time to process all that happened in that packed week at training camp. My mind was scattered and I had a hard time reflecting, hence, I avoided writing in my journal and blogging.
Now is the time to change that. Let me tell you what God did at training camp… (coming soon)
