South Coast Rock Tour
~ Day 4 ~
~ Day 4 ~
Oklahoma City…Norman, OK…Mentor/Coach/Friend.
Day 4 was amazing as was the 5th day and will say upfront before writing this, I’m exhausted physically, mentally, emotionally (feeling this the most), though spiritually not so exhausted. This post will be shorter(ish).
Woke up at the seedy Seminole truck stop and the hustle and bustle had calmed down slightly from what it had been at 3am. Again, wanted to roam around and talk to people, but it was pressed upon me to get up out of there quickly. Used the dirty bathroom and left a rock by the toilet paper dispenser. It was mid-morning due to sleeping in after driving for 5hrs late into the night. Looked at the atlas map and put my finger on Oklahoma City. This was where Tumbler headed as we hit the road West.
Was pretty jacked about this mission field and anticipated staying here for a day or two… but would only spend 2 hours here. In a nutshell, there were no people and there was no peace in the sense that I was not to linger here long. Don’t get me wrong, Oklahoma City is a cool place and today it was flippin’ cold. The cold temperatures make it more challenging to perch on a sidewalk or sit on a bench and scribe rocks. Been hard to keep my hands exposed, so I’ve mainly resorted to scribing rocks in my truck and then hitting the streets with my heavy back pack. And this is what I did in Oklahoma City. Walked around for a while and saw only a dozen people who were bundled up, walking briskly and headed to the next clothing store or coffee shop. There was this brightly colored graffiti-painted building tucked behind a main street and it intrigued me. This “Hippie Art Gallery” was only open on Saturday’s for showing and being that it was Saturday, I pulled the door handle… only to be disappointed it was locked. Such was Oklahoma City to the rolling rock girl… for reasons I may not even know, this city’s mission field was currently on lockdown for me. After admiring the crazy artwork on the outside the gallery and then walking around town some more, it was time to move on.
Woke up at the seedy Seminole truck stop and the hustle and bustle had calmed down slightly from what it had been at 3am. Again, wanted to roam around and talk to people, but it was pressed upon me to get up out of there quickly. Used the dirty bathroom and left a rock by the toilet paper dispenser. It was mid-morning due to sleeping in after driving for 5hrs late into the night. Looked at the atlas map and put my finger on Oklahoma City. This was where Tumbler headed as we hit the road West.
Was pretty jacked about this mission field and anticipated staying here for a day or two… but would only spend 2 hours here. In a nutshell, there were no people and there was no peace in the sense that I was not to linger here long. Don’t get me wrong, Oklahoma City is a cool place and today it was flippin’ cold. The cold temperatures make it more challenging to perch on a sidewalk or sit on a bench and scribe rocks. Been hard to keep my hands exposed, so I’ve mainly resorted to scribing rocks in my truck and then hitting the streets with my heavy back pack. And this is what I did in Oklahoma City. Walked around for a while and saw only a dozen people who were bundled up, walking briskly and headed to the next clothing store or coffee shop. There was this brightly colored graffiti-painted building tucked behind a main street and it intrigued me. This “Hippie Art Gallery” was only open on Saturday’s for showing and being that it was Saturday, I pulled the door handle… only to be disappointed it was locked. Such was Oklahoma City to the rolling rock girl… for reasons I may not even know, this city’s mission field was currently on lockdown for me. After admiring the crazy artwork on the outside the gallery and then walking around town some more, it was time to move on.
Earlier in the day, I had reached out to a mentor of mine from high school who now lives in Norman OK. Her name is Lisa. She was my basketball coach at Faith Christian School for my junior and senior year before being expelled. And while she was an awesome coach, she was so much more than that role to me during those 2 years… Lisa was a mentor, a role model, someone I looked up to greatly and respected deeply. It had been nearly 20 years since we last had seen each other and we were going to reunite mid-afternoon. I drove to Norman, passed her neighborhood and kept driving as I was early and wanted to find a place to park and scribe a specific rock for someone it was hard to pick just one word for when she embodies so many powerful words. Drove near the town’s university and pulled into a gas station. The dude inside was really cool. Asking him some “I’m-not-from-here” questions, he was informative and kind with his Oklahoma accent. Filled up Tumbler, patted him on the hood, and found a parking spot next to the station. Recalling Lisa’s favorite color, a purple Sharpie marker was pulled out and the scribing began. Chilled there for an hour because the word had many letters… “Gratitude” was the chosen word.
Honestly, a whole chapter of a book could be written about how influential Lisa was in those 2 years and how her impact and investment has stayed with me. God put Lisa in my life-story during the beginning chapters of my visible downward spiral into alcohol, drugs, and a sequence of rapes that added to the encouragement of numbing and running. Though I never told her all that was happening behind the sad eyes I tried to keep hidden with low brimmed hats and hoodies, there was such a bond formed with Lisa that those things were always close to being voiced. I trusted her enough to merely entertain the thought of confiding in her. Trust was a big struggle for me, but I trusted Lisa. Beyond spending time with her through the basketball practices, games and activities, I spend ample time over at her apartment. We had conversations when I was talkative, but my moods (and state of mind) were typically quiet and dark and many times, Lisa would just hold me. You see, my mask didn’t have to be worn with Lisa. Though I wasn’t telling her the truth of everything, I felt comfortable enough to show the truth that I was struggling inside. This is why a “Gratitude” rock was perfect for the woman who stayed by my side during the struggle.
At 2:30pm, I knocked at her door after a deep sigh with the barrage of emotions of seeing her after so many years. She opened the door and she looked exactly the same as 20 years ago, especially her beautiful, wide smile. We embraced and I let out another deep sigh.
The next 3 hours went by at an unrushed pace. Met her husband, 3 children, their dog and pet hermit crab. She gave me a container of brownies and I have been eating these moist, rich chocolate delectable each day after. Lisa and I were going to spend some one-on-one time together and grab some food. Giving me a break from driving, she offered to drive. We took a scenic route to the BBQ restaurant, and Lisa was a fantastic tour guide of old and new homeless shelters, transitional housing, alternate schools, rehabs, and warming station libraries. The reason she is so familiar and knowledgeable of these said places is because Lisa has been and currently is still involved in various outreaches through her church. Being that she is a teacher, she has taught in the alternative schools and she now is in administration of her church’s widely expansive hands in the community with many needs. Our conversation while driving was continuous. Could have drove around with her into the night and not run out of questions. We reached the BBQ joint and both chose brisket sandwiches with enough curly fries to feed several people. My appetite has vastly decreased in this journey and I picked at the fries while still fascinated Lisa’s story. Towards the end, I pulled out the “Gratitude” rock and placed it on the table before her. Don’t remember exactly what was said, but I wanted to verbalize how much Lisa had knowingly or unknowingly invested in me. She a strategic shaper in my story and though the seeds she had planted didn’t show much fruition during those 2 years, the seeds she planted were not in vain… they are alive and growing today as I sat across from her a much different person than the broken girl she used to hold with loving arms.
When we got back to her house, she offered me a shower, and though I needed one, kindly declined as I felt the need to continue on. Lisa had told me about one of the outreach pastors at her church who was wired to share the Gospel with practically every person he crossed paths with. Felt led to have Lisa give this kindred man I had never met, a rock, I started listing off words on pre-scribed rocks in my back pack. After naming a few and then saying “Shine”, Lisa said this rock would be perfect for S.H.I.N.E. was an acronym that was a motto of the church. Busted out in a smile and exclaimed, “Yes!!!” and then told her the story of yesterday with the shoe-shiner. Before He created this earth and all the rocks and people on it, God knew this “Shine” rock would be for this pastor. Love it when these God winks happen. Getting out of her car, we each took a selfie and as we embraced again, a feeling of honor washed over me… that this powerful, compassionate, pro-active, loving woman was chosen by God to not only be part of my journey, but also the journey of so many others as she continues to be an advocate to the beautifully broken, wayward, temporarily lost people who need someone like Lisa to love them.
At 2:30pm, I knocked at her door after a deep sigh with the barrage of emotions of seeing her after so many years. She opened the door and she looked exactly the same as 20 years ago, especially her beautiful, wide smile. We embraced and I let out another deep sigh.
The next 3 hours went by at an unrushed pace. Met her husband, 3 children, their dog and pet hermit crab. She gave me a container of brownies and I have been eating these moist, rich chocolate delectable each day after. Lisa and I were going to spend some one-on-one time together and grab some food. Giving me a break from driving, she offered to drive. We took a scenic route to the BBQ restaurant, and Lisa was a fantastic tour guide of old and new homeless shelters, transitional housing, alternate schools, rehabs, and warming station libraries. The reason she is so familiar and knowledgeable of these said places is because Lisa has been and currently is still involved in various outreaches through her church. Being that she is a teacher, she has taught in the alternative schools and she now is in administration of her church’s widely expansive hands in the community with many needs. Our conversation while driving was continuous. Could have drove around with her into the night and not run out of questions. We reached the BBQ joint and both chose brisket sandwiches with enough curly fries to feed several people. My appetite has vastly decreased in this journey and I picked at the fries while still fascinated Lisa’s story. Towards the end, I pulled out the “Gratitude” rock and placed it on the table before her. Don’t remember exactly what was said, but I wanted to verbalize how much Lisa had knowingly or unknowingly invested in me. She a strategic shaper in my story and though the seeds she had planted didn’t show much fruition during those 2 years, the seeds she planted were not in vain… they are alive and growing today as I sat across from her a much different person than the broken girl she used to hold with loving arms.
When we got back to her house, she offered me a shower, and though I needed one, kindly declined as I felt the need to continue on. Lisa had told me about one of the outreach pastors at her church who was wired to share the Gospel with practically every person he crossed paths with. Felt led to have Lisa give this kindred man I had never met, a rock, I started listing off words on pre-scribed rocks in my back pack. After naming a few and then saying “Shine”, Lisa said this rock would be perfect for S.H.I.N.E. was an acronym that was a motto of the church. Busted out in a smile and exclaimed, “Yes!!!” and then told her the story of yesterday with the shoe-shiner. Before He created this earth and all the rocks and people on it, God knew this “Shine” rock would be for this pastor. Love it when these God winks happen. Getting out of her car, we each took a selfie and as we embraced again, a feeling of honor washed over me… that this powerful, compassionate, pro-active, loving woman was chosen by God to not only be part of my journey, but also the journey of so many others as she continues to be an advocate to the beautifully broken, wayward, temporarily lost people who need someone like Lisa to love them.
Tumbler was put into driving go-mode and the music was cranked up. Texas was on the horizon that night. Left rocks at a gas station and reached the state border. Could have kept driving all the way to Dallas, but when the “Texas Welcoming Center Rest Stop” was pulled into, knew this was where I would sleep tonight. Wrote the Day 3 post and made my bed in the back seat of Tumbler. Laid down and processed the days experiences. My time with Lisa was amazing, though it had brought up a plethora of memories and emotions. It was good to face them, feel them, and not have to run and numb from them today.
Quote from Lisa’s pastor:
“We are all one step away from stupid”
“We are all one step away from stupid”
Unshakeable Peace and Purpose.
Cling to the Rock
Psalm 18:1-2
Cling to the Rock
Psalm 18:1-2
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