So, I have a story.
On August 28, as we were driving to speak to a homeschool group in Ohio, my husband and I stopped at a rest area on the interstate. There was a prominent sign for tourists at that particular rest area, describing the historic nature of nearby Route 40, which had been part of the National Road—begun as an Act of Congress in 1806, and signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson. Well, that was enough to get my attention! Between the history and the scenery, I was hooked.
Unfortunately, we did not have the time to meander off into the historic past on that particular day. Instead, it was get there and get home as fast as possible. But I did think longingly of how much fun it would be to have the time for the scenic route.
Fast forward to September 22. While on a speaking tour in Virginia, I had a flare-up of a medical condition which required me to not only cancel two venues, but also to break our travel home into three short days of driving. On the second day, we contacted dear friends in western Ohio, to ask if we might stay with them that night. The gracious answer was "Yes!. . . We’re not home, but come anyway!!"
And that is where my real story begins. Unbeknownst to me, Anne had already emailed me to ask if she could come on Saturday to help me unpack my boxes of books as she drove back from a women’s conference in Indiana. When she learned that we were driving west to stay at her house, she drove east to meet us there.
And then she amazed us even more by saying that she would turn around the next day and follow us back to Indiana, so that she could make good on her offer to unpack my books. There was a certain element of fun in all this driving however—she loves the joy of fresh air as she putters in her convertible, the weather was gorgeous, the trees were turning, and her husband and sons had gone off for some "man time" together.
The next morning, knowing how much I love riding in a convertible, my husband suggested that I ride with Anne back to our house. Anne loved the idea (as did I), so we quickly gathered our things to begin the trip. It wasn’t until we were a few minutes down the road that the unexpected gift landed in my lap.
"Diana, you know it’s a lot more fun to drive the back roads when you’re in a convertible. Do you want to look at the atlas and chart a path home on a scenic route?"
It was at that moment that I realized we were only a few miles from Route 40, the National Road, the drive I had longed to travel. And now, by God’s incredible kindness and much to my surprise, I was taking that drive in a convertible on a spectacular day with a dear friend.
I just wanted to share that with you.
Thanks,
Diana
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