The Surfboard Story

Ok well, last weekend Daniel and I decided that we wanted to go to Santa Barbara; surfing and visiting Alana; what could be better?! So we make plans. Daniel brings over 2 surf boards Thursday night and plans on bringing his board over in the morning before class.

So on Friday early in the morning I leave and meet with Ataloa for coffee (which neither of us drank (yay for tea!!) anyways..). Meanwhile Daniel is getting his stuff packed and bringing his board over.

Problem: he didn’t strap the board down. Ah dang!! He didn’t hear it fly off or see anything and realizes it only when he gets to my house.

Frustrated he retraces his steps, looking in the gutters, on sidewalks, and throughout his apartment complex. Nothing. People haven’t seen anything and there seems to be no hope.

He finally gets a hold of me and expresses disappointment, telling me what had happened.

I respond with an “okay”. Knowing that I have no words of sympathy. In knowing we are powerless in our current circumstance, we hand it over to God in prayer.

We end the call and I start heading back to town (it is about 11 o’clock now and I have finished chatting it up with Ataloa) I get it in me to look for the board. Mind you, I only have a slight idea of where Daniel lives, near Blackbeards. So I head over, retracing the path I could only assume Daniel might have taken. I see nothing.

Well, basically I wanna give up (I still haven’t packed and we are still planning to leave in like 40 minutes). However, I instead tell God that if he wants us to find this surf board, then he should do it now. I look a few more minutes then head back home. Coming to an intersection I realize that I can still make a u-turn. I do it, ending up in an apartment complex. I have no idea if this is where Daniel lives and I don’t know what I am doing. I drive around and get the feeling that I am supposed to make a right turn. I ignore that and continue on, straight ahead. Coming to the end of the road I turn around. I am still aware that I never made that right turn. So I go back, I turn in and see two homeless people near a dumpster on my left. I role down my window and this is the conversation that follows:

Me: Hi, so I have a really random question. Have you seen a surf board around here?
Nathan: Uhh… a surfboard?! Like for the ocean?! A surfboard ….. in Fresno?!
Me: Ya, I know! (I then proceed to explain Daniel’s story and why I even have this question).
Nathan: (More sensitive to the subject now) Well okay, I dunno; but what if I were to find this surf board, how would I get a hold of you?!
Me: Here is my number… thank you so much! …. Oh! Hey, is there anything I could do to help you?!
Nathan: Well do you have a million dollars?! (in jest).
Me: Ha! No, but I do have $5!
Nathan: Wow! Ya I’ll take it, I’ll take any help I can get!
Me: Well here you go, thank you a lot!!

Well at this point I need to head home to start packing. Daniel is gonna get outta class at any minute and I’m no where near ready. I get home and tell Promise that bad news. We discuss it a few minutes and come to the conclusion that even if we were to find his board, it is probably shattered. I mean how can a surfboard fall off a car onto the road and not break into a million pieces!?

So I get back to packing and I’m about half done when my phone starts to ring. It is a number I don’t know. I answer it:

Nathan: So you are not gonna believe this, but I just found your friend’s surfboard!!
Me: What!? Now way! Praise God!! (and much other exciting phrases) Ok, well where are you?
Nathan: Ashlan & Peach. We are by the Chevron! I can’t believe this, can you come now?
Me: Yea, well, we can be there within a half hour!!
Nathan: Ok, see you soon!! Wow!

When I get off the phone I am basically stoked out of my mind. I try to tell Promise what had just happened, but no words would come! Eventually I gathered my emotions enough to tell her the excitement.

Immediately following the story’s end Daniel arrives home. I am super stoked and getting a look of confusion from him (he still has no idea). After babbling I motion for him to come inside and relay the amazing find to him. He is basically shocked into silence (which was actually quite amusing for me!)

Well, all three of us abandon whatever we were doing and head over to Chevron as fast as we could. It seemed like the drive took forever, but we continued to express our excitement and the obviousness that God had planned it all out.

When we drive into the parking lot we are greeted by Nathan flagging us down with his arms and we hustle through the introductions. We just wanted to hear Nathan’s side of the story!!

” So after meeting you, we finished up collecting stuff at the apartment complex, and began heading home. Suddenly we realized that we didn’t have to haul all our stuff to the Savemart, but instead could just take it to the Winco right here. So we turn around and on the way over I look over and see something in the bushes. Behind the bus stop bench I look closely and see a surfboard!! In shock we got a hold of you and look!! It’s not even broken. Just this here at the tail, but its totally fine!”

After expressing our amazement (again!) we learned that they (the woman’s name is Velvet) live right next to our church. We chatted a little. Found out they are living near our church! Daniel was able to give contact information to Nathan, so that was good!!

But really that was just amazing! How can God orchestrate such an awesome experience!?

joyfilled!

so basically i just wanna praise god right now for the blessings he has poured out. exhibit a would be all of you, this amazing community of his people he has decided to build up right now, right here. so needed, so thankful!

yes! but right now, i am gonna go to sleep, but first i just wanna say that today was wonderful. i enjoyed every bit of it, and i am so glad that each of you were a part of it!

squished car rides. kilts. music. dance. food. sitting and relaxing. parks. amazing weather. dining table filled with those i love. spagetti. 7 cars in our driveway. singing. short road trips. unexpectedness. bands. fireworks. music and dance. road trips back home. adventures. super-cool taco bell hand dryers that save the planet. 11 cars on our property. friends. football. bikes. longboards. new friends.

joy. laughter. praise.

thank you lord for letting us experience all this in just one day! i am so excited for everything you have for me.... lets go =)

and happy birthday eric!!