It was not a productive day.

I’m leaving in three days - oops, now it’s TWO days. I'm so not ready… finally tackled the $$, tax, number stuff. Mild panic resulted. I despise dealing with finances- I must find someone to teach me or DO it for me.  Maybe a husband isn’t such a bad idea.

The to-do list is as long as my arm. But Clyde, the wonder truck, wasn't starting in the mornings.  So last week, I begged for a place in the queue at the GMC dealer and arrived at ten yesterday morning.  And, of course, they were short on technicians. And there’s nothing like showing up to a garage with a ¾ ton pickup truck with a full size camper installed. “I wasn’t thinking it’d be that big…” Good luck there, big guy.

So, at two in the afternoon, I had cleaned computer files, sorted contact lists and read my email. The dealer had bad coffee but free wifi. When it was clear this was going to take even more time, they offered to take me to my chiropractor a mile away.

And I met a new chiropractor my usual office; gentle hands and adjusted my stubborn neck just right. Ahhh…. that’s better.  And he offered me a TENS unit- a little muscle electric stimulation thingy to help my tight back muscles endure the many thousand miles ahead on my road trip. Excellent.  I can feel them relaxing already.

And it was a fabulous day in Rapid City, South Dakota- sunny as usual (I never get tired of saying that!) and about 50 degrees.  Lovely day for a walk so I set off for downtown and the car dealer.  Rapid has a pretty cool downtown. And you always see more when you’re walking. 

There’s a couple of really old, sandstone houses along the main road – I peeked into the windows and fantasized about owning a cute little stone house… move on, Kathryn.

Oh, that funky purple house is a spa- what a cool patio! I’ll have to check that out next summer.

I meandered into a artist studio/vintage clothing shop and got a business card for… next summer.  I passed up the hookah shop. Wow- and there’s a second one getting ready to open. Who knew…. in the sleepy Midwest? I got some excellent quiche at my new favorite Alternative Fuel coffee shop…and ministry center. Very cool. Picked up a regional magazine- my goal is to get published in it. Soon.

Time for a stroll back to the dealer- wow, I headed into the wind and a reminder that it was January.

Yep, a day “wasted” and expensive to boot. I had one sorta working battery instead of the two batteries Clyde needs. And turns out diesel batteries are expensive. But it pays to be nice; McKie GMC put on two wiper blades… for free.

So even a day that looks unproductive can be good. I met some nice people. I had two hours out in sunshine and fresh air, walking. My back’s in the right place for a few days, at least. I got advice and parts for Bonnie, the camper- about to be initiated by a non-mechanical owner.  And when I read my emails, I was blessed enough for any day. 

I had sent out a lazy version of a Christmas letter-first time I did an electronic one. And those words, sent out into the great cloud of data that surrounds us, connected me to old friends.  I say I just write for myself but that’s not completely honest.  I write for myself to figure out what’s going on inside me. I write so I can clearly hear God’s small voice in my busy head.  I write because I love words. I love to read a well- crafted story and I want to write a good story,too. And I publish to connect with the rest of the world. One person at a time.

So now it’s too late at night to figure out the spiritual truth in all of that… except a day that looks wasted never is. I didn’t accomplish a lot but my soul was fed by my friend’s response to my blog- thank you, Juanita, my kind, kind friend. I’m so glad we’re in touch again.  My spirit was lifted by being kind to a frazzled service department and I pray I was a blessing to them.  It was the kind of day where I could stop in the middle of all the complications and say, “It’s all good.” 

Wow- it was productive. Productive in a way that will last far longer than just cranking through a to-do list.  What does God want to produce in your days?  Peace, patience, long suffering- JOY!