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RENDEZVOUS

Big Expectations

by Lloyd Dailey, Frenchtown

It's rolling,” I said. “Finally,” responded Ryan, my twelve year old son. We were on a guys' getaway weekend fishing trip and had just changed our third flat tire on the boat trailer, so with our eyes still glued to the mirrors we both heaved a sigh of relief as we pulled out onto the road. Finally we had made it out of the driveway.

This trip is an annual event we started two years ago. At the same time Suzette, my wife, and two teenage daughters, Renee and Raelene, do a ladies' getaway weekend to Spokane where they shop and participate in other activities women enjoy more without guys and things that guys certainly don't like being a part of. There are plenty of fishing outings with just the two of us, but this is the one trip that we have always made a big deal about and we look forward to all summer.

We actually hadn't used the boat all summer, but we had put it away right and everything would be just fine. It wasn't. As we pulled the boat out, we realized we had two flat tires right away. In fact, one had actually peeled off from the rim as I pulled it onto the driveway. “Great. What a way to start. Well let's get everything loaded up and we'll run into the tire store and get the tires repaired and be on the road.”

We promptly loaded everything up we needed and then ran through the check list. I love checklists. They make me feel organized and assure me that I have not forgotten anything. Of course the checklist gets longer each year because I get on the trip and realize something I wish I had along and then add it to the list for the next occasion.

“Fishing poles?” “Check.” “Tackle box?” “Check.” “Cooler?” “Check.” “Boat key?” “Boat key,” I repeated. “Don't see it.” “It's hanging on the turn signal.” “Nope.” “Look in the door pocket.” “Not there either.” It wasn't in the glove box, the ash tray, the tool box, the tackle box, my wife's sock drawer or under the couch. I then remembered where it was. I had traded my truck in the previous fall and had left the key in the special “we'll always have the boat key now” place.

“No problem,” I said. “We'll hot wire it.” I had grown up under the innovation of my farmer and bush missionary father and knew how to make things work even when you don't have what you need. A couple of snips and a couple of twists and we'd be in good shape. “OK. Let's try it.” Varoom.

“Alright,” we laughed with glee. “Hurry and shut it off before it overheats.” “Uhhh... NOW!!” Whoops. I had neglected to wire in a kill switch and these motors need a kill switch as well as the need for water to keep them from overheating. With much panic I finally got the thing shut down, but now the question remained: had I ruined it?

After a run to Missoula for new tires and a new ignition switch, we proceeded to repair the boat and trailer and finally we were ready to hit the road. It was now 8:30 p.m. — ten and a half hours later than planned. So much for a little night fishing at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. One last quick stop at Gart Sports and we'd be on the road.

I wish I could say that went well. I wish I could say that one of the wheels wasn't ready to fall off. I wish I could say all the lugs were still there instead of just one as we pulled into Gart. I wish I could say there was a nearby automotive or hardware or anything besides Albertsons or Crazy Mike's video that was open. But I can't. The first real twinge of discouragement eked in. “Oh Lord,” I pleaded, “please give me an idea.” Bing! How about Ace Hardware? They're across town, but stay open late. Thank you, Lord. We still had a wheel barely hanging on. Improvising kicked in again with great success— we pulled a couple of lugs from the other wheel, and off we went.

“This is the life,” we both said as we lay on our sleeping bags. We hadn't quite made it to Canyon Ferry and our reserved campsite, but the rest area half way to Helena provided a place to park at 11:30 at night.

“Let's call Mom and the girls real quick.” Suzette was glad to hear from her men and let us know about the fun day they were having and then asked about ours. “Oh. It's been interesting.” “Did you remember the cooler?” “Yes, Hon. Remember, I have the checklist.”

“And the life jackets.” Now why did she have to ask that? She was in Spokane in a nice motel with a pool, hot tub and room service available. Why did

she have to bring up life jackets? We always keep them in the camper except when we take them out and don't have them on the check list.

“No! I can't believe it. Oh, wait; no problem. We drive right by a Super Wal-Mart and even though I don't want to buy more life jackets, I'm not driving all the way home to get a couple of life jackets.”

So everything was fine and once again we were smiling and went back to enjoying our camping night with some late night snacks and a chapter from the book by Gary Stanley, How To Make A Moose Run. This book had become a tradition on our father-son getaways and always provides some great laughs. (It's on the checklist.)

“Haven't seen a life jacket in here since the 4th of July,” said the clerk at Wal-Mart. “We did just get in a load of ice augers though. We're all ready for ice fishing.” That's exactly what we wanted to hear in August. For the first time we were both very discouraged. I'm normally an optimist, but this time I had nothing to say. This was the last straw. We slithered back to the truck with our shoulders drooped and our heads hanging. There wasn't another store open on a holiday weekend at 6:00 in the morning. We had just played out our last hope.

I mustered up a little bit of strength and told Ryan. “Let's pray.” Nothing extravagant; just a simple request that God would give us an idea and that we would be positive in this discouraging time.

I said “Amen” and Ryan said with a determined but discouraged look, “If I owned a campground and boat marina, I would at least have life jackets for people to use in case they forgot theirs.”

“Ryan! Do you realize what you just said? I think God just answered our prayer with an idea. Of course they have life jackets! They rent boats at the marina we're staying at.” God had just revealed himself in a huge way to a 12 year old (as well as to the old guy). We had barely said “Amen” and God had given us the idea we hadn't thought of.

The marina did have life jackets, and again I wish I could say everything went great after that, but it didn't. Something bad had happened to the boat motor during the hot wire excitement which caused it to overheat and die half way out of the bay. But we still got it to an isolated beach where we played all day and fished from the shore.

We had drinking, obnoxious neighbors at the campground. We caught zero fish in two days because we couldn't get to where they were due to the dead boat. We were able to try out the battery charger unit on our new generator because we left a light on in the truck. We had a fourth flat tire on our way home. On and on with the old “If it was bad and could happen, it did” syndrome.

As we wearily unpacked everything at home, laughed and told the girls of all our calamities, Ryan said, “You know Dad. That was the worst fishing trip we have ever been on…. but at least we were together and had fun.” I think God also answered that prayer about the positive attitude.

He was right. It was a trip I hope to never repeat in most ways, but there were some things I hope happen over and over. We did have fun and we were together for some unforgettable moments. Those are moments a father longs for with his son. We will probably bring them up for years to come as we laugh and tell stories of the “remember when” calamity variety. There's also that part of God revealing Himself in a very small, but huge way when he gave Ryan what we have come to call the “Big Idea” concerning the life jackets.

God has a way of doing that. It seems that every time the chips are down He gives a little revelation of Himself. Life can be so full of the whys and why nots, but each time God shows that He is faithful, sometimes in a little way, but enough to show He is there. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV)

The key in that verse is not that we won't grow physically weary, but that we hope in the Lord. We need to remember that every negative life situation, big or small, is temporary and that we are living for an eternity of peace with the Lord.

It might have been the worst fishing trip ever, but at least we were there together—us and the Lord. He gave us strength, soaring power, and He revived us from being overcome by weariness or fainting spiritually. Those are the memories I hope Ryan carries with him the rest of his life.

We have recently updated our checklist. Life jackets are on there, of course, and we added one more thing: Big Expectations. Expect God to show up in a big way because He will.