Introduction
Call them coincidences, serendipities, or simply interesting connections in time; this Appalachian Irishman experienced two of these moments recently. The dynamic tapestry of life has occasions that make you pause and reflect.
Welcome, dear reader, to the 117th entry in the Life (such as it is) Topic Section. This article recounts two recent instances of interesting serendipity. After each, I had to pause and ponder for a moment.
Wheelbarrows
Late last summer, on Sunday afternoon, 9/28/2025, I loaded our red wheelbarrow into my truck bed and hauled it over to my father-in-law's house. (At the time, he was still living and doing fairly well. The article from 2/13/2026 commemorates his transition.) Our adult niece, the daughter of my wife's sister, wanted to borrow it to spread wood chips in her yard. She and I managed to slide and fit the wheelbarrow into the hatchback of her sport utility vehicle (SUV).
It must take over six months to spread wood chips. Last Saturday, 4/11/2026, was set aside for doing yard work at my recently deceased father-in-law's house. (My wife is the oldest of three siblings. Her sister, next to her in age, and a first cousin of theirs still reside there.)
Beforehand, I bought brush-killing spray and a new blue wheelbarrow at Lowe's. (Our old wheelbarrow became a gift to our niece.) With no wheelbarrow at my wife's homeplace, I needed one. I wanted to pile bush and tree clippings into it and dump them in a brush pile near the creek behind the house. After several hours of sweaty work, during which my “long-suffering” wife helped, a few brush and tree trimmings remained to haul off.
The next afternoon, Sunday, I decided to “get the ox out of the ditch” (cf. Luke 14:1-6). Thus, I spent a few minutes moving the remaining cuttings to the brush pile.
Later that afternoon, I wondered when I bought that first wheelbarrow. Our financial software provided the answer. Just over 22 years ago, I bought the original red wheelbarrow at the same Lowe's location. The cost including tax was $32.51. The purchase date was Monday, 3/29/2004. Back then, our newly constructed home was less than a year old. (We moved in on Saturday, 6/7/2003.) I had needed a wheelbarrow for yard work.
Immediately, my mind fast forwarded twelve years from 3/29/2004 to Tuesday, 3/29/2016, which was just over ten years ago. Twelve years to the day from when I bought the first wheelbarrow, I almost died when the uninsured 18-year-old female failed to yield to my right of way. The Topic Section My Bionic Life — since 3/29/2016, which includes 19 articles so far, focuses on that day, which lives in infamy in my mind, and my recovery.
Thank you, Lord, for not granting me foreknowledge on 3/29/2004 that I would almost die twelve years later on 3/29/2016! In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matt. 6:34, KJV).
Truck Mileage Milestone
My 20-year-young, vintage 2006 Nissan Frontier was nearing the 200,000-mile milestone. I wondered where, on which road, I would see the odometer roll to that mileage.
Last Monday, 4/13/2026, was the anniversary of Papaw Marion Ferrell's birthday in 1880. That day, I had an appointment for a routine six-month dental cleaning at 10 AM at the Lakeview Dental Studio. The location is just behind and above the Fountain City Park.
Greenwood Cemetery on Tazewell Pike is where my mother-in-law's and father-in-law's physical remains await the second coming of Christ. Their souls, however, continue to be blessed everlastingly with unspeakable joy in paradise.
Instead of taking a shorter route from Tazewell Pike, I drove past the cemetery. Keeping a close eye on the road and the odometer, the mileage clicked to 200,000 exactly at the main entrance to the cemetery. A tenth of a mile later, farther southwest, at 9:54 AM, the red traffic light at the intersection of Tazewell Pike, Jacksboro Pike, and Sanders Road allowed me to take the above photograph.
The serendipity was stunning! On Papaw Ferrell's birthday in 1880, my truck reached 200,000 miles at the main entrance to the cemetery where the gravesites for my mother-in-law and father-in-law are located.
Conclusion
Have you ever experienced similar serendipities in life, dear reader? These were two recent examples in my life. I remember several others. I wonder if God's providential hand causes some of these reflective coincidences. It may. Of course, sometimes life simply makes you pause, connect the dots, and think for a moment.
As a separate point in conclusion, two days ago, Tuesday, 4/14/2026, a fire erupted on House Mountain State Natural Area just after midnight. Yesterday, I drove to the nearby park, which was closed to hikers. I took three photographs of smoke from the still smoldering fire, which had been 100% contained. Lord willing, a forthcoming article will focus on the fire.
No comments:
Post a Comment