Day 18 ~ West Coast Rock Tour

~ 18th Day ~

Hitchhiker...Grand Canyon...Flagstaff...Sedona...Phoenix...Hot Seat.

I woke up in a pool of sweat. Grabbed a change of fresh clothes and cleaned up best I could in the at Keyenta's McDonald's bathroom. It was 7:30am and the Western road awaited us. I had planned on going to Flagstaff, then Phoenix and going back up to visit the Grand Canyon on my way to Las Vegas... if I received the green light to go there. Such was not the plan or purposes God had for me the next few days.

While waiting my turn in the bathroom (it was busy for so early in the morning), I struck up a conversation with a middle-aged woman named Karen. Guessing that she was traveling as well, I asked her where her next stop was. "My husband and I are going to the Grand Canyon before we head down to Flagstaff. How about you, dear?" I told her I didn't really have set plans, but was thinking Flagstaff. "Oh honey, you should go to the Grand Canyon... it's only 100 miles away from here." She said with a dripping, Texas drawl. This woman was the confirmation I received that I would not take the Rock ministry to the streets of Flagstaff today and spend the night there. Tumbler and I were off the finally see the place I had yet to see.

The man with one eye was not sitting on the bench that morning... probably had found a more comfortable and welcoming place to sleep. When I pulled out and drove a few miles, I saw a few hitchhikers with their thumbs out. I passed 2 of them and as much as I wanted to stop and give them a lift, I felt they were not ones I was to stop for. But then I saw Rosy. She was walking slowly and had nothing but a purse draped on her shoulder. Now I've picked up more male hitchhikers than females, but this lady stuck out to me... For no particular reason other than I did feel led to stop for her. I pulled over after I passed her and she didn't pick up her pace to get to Tumbler. When she hopped in the passenger side, and I asked her where she was going, she pointed straight ahead and said, "Up there." I could see she wasn't going to be a big talker... so I thought. We drove for a little while before I couldn't stand the anticipation to ask her a few questions... like why she was hitchin' a ride knowing how dangerous it could be for a female. She told me her car was at her parents and she had just left her boyfriend's house. There was more to the story she wasn't sharing, but I didn't want to pry.

I asked her about her family, her work, where she had lived. She would answer, then ask me the same question. Then she asked, "What tribe are you?" This was a first for me... and I had to think what tribe I would refer myself to belong to. "I'm in the Jesus Tribe." I though this might be the end of our now comfortable conversation, but she looked at me with wide eyes and said she knew about this tribe. Rosy then told me she was of the Navajo Tribe and that she had been to a Bible camp in Alaska a few years ago. Wow! I asked her about churches in the Keyenta area and also inquired about the old, cultural traditions of the Native Americans. I learned a lot about the customs and cultures of the Navajo... as well as the influx of alcohol and speed with her people. There were some churches here, but she only went occasionally. We then talked about how God isn't only found in a church building... or an camp experience in Alaska. She kept nodding her head and saying, "Yes, I needed to hear this."

After we had driven for almost an hour of on and off conversing, I asked her how far her parents house was. She pointed to a very distant rock formation in up ahead and way to the right. I told her I wouldn't be able to take her all the way, but would drive her to the next town where she would then start heading North. She smiled and said she understood 'cause "You are on a mission and need to meet more people." I gave her a "Peace" rock that I had not finished, but told her she could write/draw something in the space left. "I like it how it is." I prayed for Rosy and her tribe all the way to the Grand Canyon.

Certainly, one can spend days at every one of the 8th Wonder's of the World. I chose to spend only an hour at the G.C... not because I wasn't impressed, but simply 'cause I saw it, was awed for that hour, took a plethora of pictures, and left a "Faith" rock at a precarious perch (hoping that no one would fall trying to reach for it.) It is absolutely breath-taking and yes, there was moisture in my eyes for much of the 60 minutes there. I went to 3 different view points, and each was was awesome. And then I was ready to move on. Sight-seeing is cool, but this is not the purpose of this journey... I wanted to get back on the road to see more, meet more people, and drop more rocks along the path. But if you haven't seen the Grand Canyon, do go... and stay for more than an hour.

Flagstaff was a 2hrs drive of more scenic beauty. I had planned on taking my heavy backpack to the streets and staying here tonight... but Flagstaff would only be a resting place for 2hrs. There was a storm brewing and this encouraged me to stay in the truck and watch the rolling clouds behind the surrounding hills. I cranked out a day post, snapped some pictures, prayed for this town, and moved on. The nearby Sedona area had been highly recommended to drive through, but I was eager to arrive in Phoenix. I'm glad for the pulling of my steering wheel to take Alternate Route 89 to Phoenix... where I saw why Sedona was a place one should at least drive through (if not stop).

The red rock mountains in this stellar city were as captivating as I found the Grand Canyon to be... not as vast and large, but still holding grand beauty and awe at God's creative hand. There was a church built right into the red rocks I had heard about and wanted to see. When I passed a gnarly looking church on the right, I thought it was the backside of the rockin' church. Wanting to get to Phoenix before the sun went down, I kept driving 'cause I didn't want to find the road that led to the front of this church where the huge cross jutted out of the mountain. After a mile or so, I saw a road called "Chapel Hill." Thought to myself, "I missed the gnarly church, so might as well go a block on this Chapelesque road"... and to my delightful surprise, it led right to the front of the church I had wanted to see! It was awesome and gratitude ran through my low-on-oxygen veins. The sight of this huge cross with its foundation being a rock was metaphorical in so many ways. This was why God had veered my steering wheel on to the "alternate route."

I punched in "Phoenix, AZ" into the GPS and Tumbler and I were back on the scheduled itinerary... though not in the order we had planned, but God's G.P.S. (God Planned Steps) has purposed all along. Though I don't always follow His leading, I try to adhere to His leading and voice rather than my own fallible one as much as possible.

The journey to this southern city took almost 3hrs... again so much to take in, in every direction. Though the last 3 states I had been traveling through all have mountains, hills and rocks, each one has a different and unique topography, colors and types of rocks. Each hold a beauty of their own. Phoenix was not what I expected though.

When I think of a large city, my mind goes to Chicago... skyscrapers and busy streets with taxi cabs, horns honking and people on a mission to their next destination. Such was not the case with Phoenix. This city is so spread out and there wasn't an actual "downtown." It was late, maybe 10:30pm when I reached the city limits, and I needed to find a Walmart parking lot to park my tired body and mind.

I pulled into a K Gas Station to fill up Tumbler's tank and wash his face. Inside there were 2 young ladies working the end of their evening shift. The one who swiped my debit card was named Constance and I asked her where the "downtown" area of Phoenix was located. I learned from her that there wasn't one... but she did give me some suggestions of cool places. When I asked her where the darker parts of the city were, she looked intrigued. This sparked a conversation that would pull her out from behind the gas station's counter. Constance is from Portland, OR... a tack on the map for the latter part of this journey. We talked about her home city, the city she currently lives in and about homeless shelters. After I filled up with gas, I went back inside to give her a "Hope" rock. It was very fitting for Constance... a woman of Hope. 

A 24hr Walmart was found a few blocks away, and I sighed deeply when Tumbler's engine was turned off.... the reality of the intense heat of Phoenix was turned on, and this would be my hottest night yet. At one point in the evening, the tickling trickle of sweat woke me and I peaked over the front seat to see 125 degrees on the thermometer. I think I lost over 5 pounds that night... and I had the back hatch window wide open within a couple hours, 'cause any "Tweeker" who would try to climb in would be meeting a very hot (temperatured) girl with a rock in the palm of her fist. No such encounter happened, but I did encounter a night of near sleeplessness. Welcome to Phoenix, Katie... but my heart would grow to love this city as tomorrow would hold much purpose.

The path we set out to travel is often not the best route we should take.
When we follow the path of God's purpose, it might be the long way,
But the bonus blessings along the way are worth the extra miles.
We might miss a hitchhiker when we only stay on our course.
The random turn may lead us to a desired place.
Be willing to wander off the planned path.
God's purposes are far higher.

Constance means: "Firm of Purpose."

~Unshakable Peace, Hope and Purpose~
cling to the Rock 
Psalm 18:1-2