Tender Mercies

We signed on our house in TN today!!!  We did it through the mail, so the fed ex package arrived this morning by 10.  I had to laugh and take a picture of the sticky notes attached through out the stack.  The blue ones say "sign here" the green ones say "initial here" and the yellow ones say "notarize".  The Title company called me yesterday and told me that the papers were on their way.  Me, not knowing the business at all said great... and I have to have them signed and back to you by when?  She said "Wednesday, and you are going to need a notary for some of it."  "oh, I'm glad you told me that, i wouldn't have known.  So do I have to Fed ex it before business hours are over tomorrow?"  "No, just get on line and find the latest place in your area."  "Oh, great. Then I don't have to worry about my husbands schedule. Thanks!"

So when it arrived today, I was in no hurry to get things done.  Luckily I was able to 'find' a notary really quickly.  (Thank you again Tracy)  And when Brent got home we took the papers over to her house to sign the notarized ones with her.  It only took a few minutes to do that and then we came home for dinner, baths, and putting kids to bed, oh yeah and mowing the lawn.  I tell you all this to drive home the fact that we were feeling NO pressure what so ever to hurry up with these papers.  The Kinkos/Fed Ex by me doesn't close till 10:00.  So kids in bed we sign papers..  reading through them etc.  Then i head out to Fed Ex at about 9:00.  Walk in and see a box that says "last pick up 6pm: completed."  I still don't get it, I take my envelope over to the guy at the desk: "I didn't know if I was supposed to put this in the box or give it to you."  "Either way." "oh good, so when will that go out" (it's in an over night package) "um, tomorrow, it'll arrive on Thursday"  (ALL THE PAPERS are dated!!)  "Oh dear... so they had to make that 6:OO pick up time?"  "Yup, the latest one in the city is 9:15 at BWI (the air port)"  We both look at our watches, it's 9:13.  I thank him as I run out the door.  I jump in the van, call Brent, tell him to look for a phone number to BWI's Fed Ex and see if they can hold it for just 15 minutes.  I drive like a mad woman to the airport, all the while listening to Brent look all over the internet for a phone number to this place, or directions of some sort.  As I approach the airport he said something about Building E and there was no phone number, but it says the close at 9:30.  I hung up with him and said a little prayer.  I needed inspiration, and I have to tell you... inspiration I got.  I truly believe that we are given "tender mercies", and this is a story of such:

Pull up to the Airport... 3 choices, Departing flights, Arriving Flights, Parking..... weigh pros and cons.... follow the prompting... Departures it is.   I am looking for a box... maybe there is a box, like there was at Kinkos.  Looking, looking, then prompting... ask someone that works there....  See a guy.... ah, there's a guy, prompting.... nope not that one, go to the next one.   Okay, but I'll keep looking for a box.  prompting that guy..  pull over jump out "excuse me, do you know where there's a Fed Ex drop off?"  realize that I've asked a pilot, how on earth would he know, he probably doesn't even live in this city.  "Sorry, I have no idea, all I can tell you is that the cargo planes park over there, maybe you can get back there, I'm not sure."  "Thank you so much."  Jump back in the car head out of the terminal come to fork, have no idea... Prompting Go right, stay towards where he said they pointed the planes.  Turn right, turn right again, and I see a sign that says "Cargo buildings A-E .3 miles right"  WHAT!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I FOUND IT!! "   9:32.  I pull up to the door of this office right as the lady is taking her purse out from under the counter.  I jump out and run up, she flags me away... "sorry" she mouths, "too late".  I turned my back to her and stood on the stair discouraged. Prompting WAIT,  for what?  maybe some worker guy will come along and take it in for me??  waited, fully expecting that this woman would have to go out the back door, but she didn't she came out the front, and so I said "it's already paid for, can't you just throw it in?" Then out of the back room pops a man,  the woman ignores me and asks the man "are you going to lock this behind me?"  "Please" I plead.  The man looks at me standing there.... "are you done sorting?" She asks the guy.  "Nope."  "could you take this for her?"  "sure"  and the package slides between two little open cracks and makes it in... just barely under the wire!!!  Amazing!  You can not deny the divine intervention there!!!!  There was no way I should have found that place that quickly nor should I have gotten them to take it.  :-)  I am SO incredibly grateful today for those Tender Mercies.  

Now we just need one more... a buyer.  :-)