Man proposes, God disposes

Summery Saturday mornings in the 1980s were spent power-walking, with all three kids in tow, through a Denver flea market at 88th and I-76.

It started small, but as the years went by, more and more vendors set up shop, hoping to turn trash into treasure.

Danny was always on the hunt for good, used tools, necessary for his trade. Over the years, through our efforts at the flea market and due to the credit available from Snap-On and MAC, he built up quite an impressive array of specialty tools designed for use on highway/heavy equipment. It took years, and thousands of dollars, to outfit him for whatever job he landed on, and he had some doozies.

He spent quite a long stint at a rock quarry west of Denver, lead man on the crew responsible for keeping the plant in peak operating condition. The plant was tucked away on the mountainside so security was never an issue. Until it was, when it was discovered that all of the tools, Danny's and his co-workers, disappeared over the weekend.

We headed back to the flea market. Not only to find suitable replacements, in a hurry, but to look closely at any second-hand tools, watching for Danny's telltale initials. Oh, he so wanted to find just one single wrench, so he could use it to beat the tar out of whoever was trying to sell it.

Like a cowboy without a horse, he was lost without his tools, and he never did reassemble the entire toolbox. And, thankfully, he never did spot his tools in any one else's possession, so no one suffered physical harm.

I got just the slightest taste of his frustration this week when I reported for work and my computer didn't. This was only one of many plans that had gone awry.

I'd been using this particular computer for several years, with absolutely no issues whatsoever. I oftentimes bragged about its durability and dependability, because in this job, it is my primary tool. I wrote on it and paginated uncountable pages for the newspaper, day after day, without hardly a hiccup.

Then, it was dead.

Every single task undertaken since its unexpected demise has produced ever-increasing levels of frustration, as I rebuild the many tools I use on a daily basis, that sadly, all disappeared with the hard drive. We won't even talk about the photos stored on the hard drive (I was going to back them up this week, in preparation for a two week vacation).

Speaking of vacation, I'm so glad that I scheduled mine weeks ago, otherwise, I might have needed to ask for emergency leave or a nice quiet room in a mental health facility. It's definitely time for a break, 2012 is one for the record books.

You won't even know I'm gone. My co-workers know the drill. The McCook Daily Gazette will arrive in due time, every single day. It's what we do.

Although I have been repeatedly reminded over the past several days, as my carefully laid plans have been cast aside, that "man proposes and God disposes" (attributed to Thomas M. Kempis), I am, nevertheless, praying to be led to a sweet place of respite. My house needs a deep and thorough cleaning. So does my heart. Best to do these jobs simultaneously. Sometimes I can only listen on my knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor.

After a year of plans gone awry, after a year that saw too many losses, it's time to rest in the One who has taught us and teaches us still:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Matthew 5:3-11 (ASV)

I don't have all the answers, but I know and love the One who does. Let's walk in his love and discover him together.

Dawn