Drama Pill

Dylan enjoying the bliss of the drama-pill - first road trip to Myrtle Beach

Call me crazy, but I do enjoy road trips.  The whole idea of a road trip makes me giddy.  We have had our share of them, and now that the kids are older, we're good.  There's no major issues.  But, I still remember the first, major road trip we took with them.  That was a different story.

Since Dylan has always been...how shall I put it nicely? A bit of a challenge when it comes to riding in the car, we waited to do long road trips until he was older.  First we tried a 6-hour-long test ride.  It was quite awful, but we managed.  So we decided to enlist on a trip to Myrtle Beach with the Dieter family, and...needless to say, I was super excited, but a tiny bit worried too.  Therefore, I overpacked.  I combed through Pinterest and all over the internet for family-road-trip-tips.  I printed games.  I created individualized travel packs for the boys.  I bought those things we hang on the back of the front seats so they could organize their stuff.  I filled every corner with snacks.  I tucked kleenex, wet wipes and hand sanitizers in every pocket of the car. We even rented a big, giant SUV so we could have more room.  I made sure I had lots of Dramamine handy.  And off we went.

The thing with this first trip to the beach was that we all decided to travel caravan style.  About 5 cars riding together along the highways, connected by cell phones.  That's fun and all, but it could cause problems, like delays.  What was estimated as a 12-hour trip became a 15-hour nightmare.  By hour 10, I ran out of resources...well...almost.  I still had the Dramamine (or what became known as the "Drama Pill" in our household).  I dug into my emergency kit, and a few minutes later, the drama lessen and the ride became peaceful.

I wonder if Noah ever had to pull a "drama pill" out of his emergency kit?  Did he even have something like a drama pill?  Maybe it was more like a drama rod, huh?

Talk about a long trip, confined on a floating building with not only his family, but the families of every other animal that ever walked or flew around the world, and not even a picture window to try to play the licence plate game!  WOW...unfathomable. 

Do you think Noah ever asked himself, in the watches of the night, tossing and turning with the waves of the storm, listening to the sounds of the animals and the crashing of the thunder: "What was I thinking?"  Do you think he ever asked: "Are we there yet, Lord?"

I bet he did.  Over one hundred and fifty days trapped in the Ark...yep, I bet he did.

Finally, after the added delayed of waiting for several birds until the one dove did not return, Noah and his family got out.  Can you imagine the exuberant bliss that he must have experienced when the door of the ark opened and he stepped outside onto dry land?  The praise spilled out of Noah onto the altar that he built.  The burnt offerings caught God's attention and Noah's attitude of gratitude did not go unnoticed.  What a great example for us today:  to give praises and offer thanksgiving to the Lord as the first thing we do when coming out of trial. 

I remember making it to the beach that very first time.  Dylan was still a bit drowsy, but we got out of the car and stepped onto the warm and silky sands of the Atlantic Ocean.  The sound of the waves and the warmth of the sun on our skins melted away the memories of the trip we just left behind.  I did not build an altar, but I do remember thanking God for the gift of allowing us to be there, witnessing the majesty of His creation, knowing that  “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8: 22

Praised be the Name of the Lord in the easy rides and in the rough sailing.  Praise be to the Lord always!  Amen!