Things I think I can’t live without

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

We are spending a few days at some friends’ house taking care of their animals so that they can go out of town for a funeral. The decision to go was rushed and very last minute, and because I am a planner, it was difficult for me to prepare. In about an hour and a half, I gathered everything that we might need. They live an hour out of town so there will be no running to Wal-Mart if we forget something. As a result, the truck was crammed full of stuff that I decided I could not live without even for just a few days. This is what we took:

1. Three bags of food. There are no restaurants where we are going, so we will be staying in to eat.
2. A large bin of wool, felting supplies and books.
3. Our own sheets, towels, blanket and pillows. I am allergic to most laundry detergents, so thought it best to take our own linens.
4. My laptop computer. Even though I will not have internet access in the country, I can’t bear to go without it!
5. Clothes for work and play. We will be commuting to work two days, but, on the weekend we hope to play. They have a pool and a creek.
6. One of husband’s motorcycles. We have to go two different directions on Saturday morning so we both need vehicles to drive.
7. My fan. Due to my life status, I cannot sleep without a fan blowing on me.
8. Our large roasting pan. By the time we work all day and then, do chores, it will be late. I will put dinner in the roasting pan in the morning to save time on meal preparation.
9. Our pasta pot. We will have spaghetti for dinner on Saturday.
10. A bag of financial paperwork and bills that I need to sort through. I figure I might just be able to concentrate on that long neglected pile when I am in the country with nothing else to distract me.
11. A bag of glass patterns to sort as well.
12. Old shoes that we can get manure and mud on when we take care of their horses.
13. Cell phone chargers even though our cell phones don’t work out there.
14. My Bible and Bible Study book. We are not going to drive an hour to go back into church on Sunday so I will make use of them there.

That’s a lot of things I think I cannot live without. If I lived one hundred years ago, I’d be one of those women whose husband kept throwing things out of the covered wagon to lighten the load. But, the most important thing I can’t live without, I don’t need space in the truck to take. That’s God’s continual love and presence which goes everywhere with me. Perhaps, in the woods an hour from home, I will take the time to appreciate that gift.