Untangling the mess

 I have lots of good Halloween memories...

....from my childhood, I especially remember the year I was too old to go trick or treat.  Donned in one of my mother's  black dresses and a witch's hat, I served witches brew (lemonade) from an old black cauldron to the many children of Sans Souci.

...from my memory bank of my children's Halloween experiences, I especially remember Tray when he was a senior in high school. He was late coming home from his job at Ace Hardware and knocked on the door with the words "trick or treat."  He was, of course, a helpful hardware man.

And each year I look forward to a visit from some precious trick or treaters who call me grandma.

My favorite Halloween, however, has nothing to do with trick or treat.

Or does it?

Rich Suhey had always wanted a boat.  His mother passed away in the summer of 1997. There was some extra money from the sale of her house.

And so it was that on a Friday afternoon which also happened to be Halloween, we drove to the Julington Creek Marina and picked up the Manatee.  Rich was like a little boy in a candy shop.  It took us about four hours to make it back to where the boat would be moored at Colonial Point but that was okay.  We were having so much fun!

What a treat!

We were enjoying our first experience on the water when the engine began to spurt and sputter and make a grinding noise.  And then we realized we were stuck.

Now, Rich Suhey knew all things about cars and engines. So I assumed he knew all things about boats.  Besides, we both had certificates from the Coast Guard's safe boating course.

Was this a trick???

Fortunately, a seasoned fisherman came by.

"You are caught in a crab trap."

Not to worry, he could help us.  And he did.

It's been 19 years since that experience. Sometimes I feel like the boat's propeller's looked that day as the mechanic freed it from the mangled wire of a crab trap.  Life can make me feel bogged down, stuck, a MESS.

But fortunately, I have a Mechanic who can make the mess a message.  I just have to put my faith and trust in Him.

May your life be filled with enough sunshine

to make you appreciate the shadows