Lately its been hard for me to put my thoughts to words, but this story is too special to keep for our hearts only.
For those of you that know Chasen and I, you know that we LOVE the Iowa State Fair. We love the food, the entertainment, the livestock shows, the ice cold beer at Stockmans, and most importantly the reunion it creates for family and friends. Since we started dating I bet we have averaged 6 days of fair going, easily. We love the state fair so much that last year I went into labor during the state fair. I told you, we love the fair!
As the state fair rolled closer we began to talk about and plan how state fair would be this year. We knew that Chasen would be fatigued from the treatment he received in Mexico City at the end of July. And as a result, we would need an aggressive parking plan, options for an afternoon snooze, and likely on grounds transportation. It would be a different fair experience, but we could definitely make it work.
With a camper lined out, I began searching Craigslist for a motorized scooter. There just happened to be a guy in Ottumwa that flipped scooters-refurbished used ones and priced them to sell. It was the perfect scenario and a short drive, but unfortunately we weren't the only ones with the brilliant idea to purchase a scooter for the fair. In the last week he had sold 20, bringing his inventory to a flat 0. I broadened my search and came across one for sale in Cedar Rapids. It was an elderly lady that was offering her late husband's scooter for $600. We visited a bit about the scooter and I arranged for my sister's boyfriend to go check it out later that night.
At about 6 that evening I get a call from my sister, "I am probably going to make you cry." Selfishly I thought to myself, the scooter was already sold by time Beau had got there, or it had electrical problems and he decided not to purchase it. I could never have guessed the news that she had to share.
The lady wanted to give us the scooter for free. In fact she wouldn't accept any money for it. Because it was her late husband's she was having a hard time parting with it (he passed away last July). She told Beau that she had prayed to God for the last two weeks that someone that desperately needed the scooter would find it. Once she heard our story, she felt in her heart this is what she needed to do.
God bless her and her broken heart.
At the begining of our cancer journey we had close friends tell us that it would be a beautiful experience. They weren't talking about the trips to the doctors office, or the infusions, or the side effects of the drugs, or the sleepless nights. They were talking about the hope, and love, and generosity we would receive from our friends, family, community, and even strangers. We continue to be humbled by all the support we have received.
God has a funny way of working, as the old saying goes. Just when it feels the wheels are about to fall off, suddenly the road ahead clears up so we can start to move forward again. Every day we realize the blessings that God has put in our life, large or small. We are eternally grateful for those that continue to pray for our family, whether we know them or not, the power of prayer is simply amazing.
