Out Of The Blue…

The most amazing thing happened tonight.

I’m still scratching my head wondering how the heck it happened.

Because, things like this don’t happen to us.

We’re not particularly “LUCKY” people.

Sure, we feel like we have a very blessed life. We are sincerely grateful for everything we have and acknowledge that Heavenly Father has given us everything.

But, nothing has ever just fallen out of the sky – or walked up to our door – for us.
We have worked (hard) for everything we have.

Tonight, a blessing “walked up to our door.”

8:30 p.m:
I had just returned from my “piglet” ride with Buttercup. I was getting ready to start cleaning the dinner dishes.
Inigo is watching his favorite “Avatar” TV series.

The doorbell rings.

I’m thinking it’s Bro. Opie.
Inigo left a piano book over at his house and he said he’d return it to us tonight.

(Note to self: I need to go over to Opie’s house and pick up that piano book!)

I opened the door and there was a stranger there.
A safe enough looking man.
Clean, nicely dressed.
Trim haircut.

He says to me,
”I see you have a Ford Ranger in your drive-way. I’m wondering if it’s for sale.”

{Cue angels in heaven singing the Hallelujah chorus.}

See, this Ford Ranger that is in our driveway is a P.O.J.
(Piece of Junk)
We actually call it P.J. for that reason.

We tried to give it to Buttercup for her 16th birthday,
but she didn’t want any part of that vehicle.

“You’re giving me P.J.?”

° It’s ugly.
° There is no A/C in it.
° The radio doesn’t work.
° There are some pretty major dents in the body.
° It runs, but it we don’t drive it often enough that it starts when we need it to.
(Translated: it always needs a jump)
° And the best part, when we drive it “long distances” (out to the dump) it backfires
when we shift it into 3rd gear.
° It’s always humorous to watch people hit the ground when you drive by.
It sounds like they’re getting shot at.

So, P.J. always sits in our driveway. Waiting to be driven, but never getting that opportunity.

I’m sure the neighbors love it.

True, we always leave the keys in it, in case any of them ever need to haul anything to the dump. We say if they can get it started, they can have it!

But it’s not the most attractive thing to look at.

That’s why I was surprised when this nice gentleman asked if it was for sale.

A few months ago, when Max purchased his GMC pick-up, we decided we didn’t
need P.J. anymore.
He put an add on Craig’s List and generated a little interest.
Someone even contacted him and said if he had a pay-pal account, they’d deposit the asking price and send someone over to haul it away… sight unseen.
No dickering over the price.

It felt fishy.
And weird.
Max declined.

And P.J. stayed in our driveway.

I talked to this man for a few minutes.
I tell him the price Max had it listed for and follow it with what I think it’s worth, which is 1/2 of Max’s asking price.
I also tell him everything that’s wrong with it. (See above list.)
I realize that I would never survive as a car salesman.

The man offered $150 less than my price.
He said he’d write a check right then if I’d take his offer.

True, the offer is 1/3 of what Max originally wanted, but really…
it truly is a good deal!!

Before anyone thinks I was taken advantage of, I will tell you why he was so interested in our little Ford Ranger:

He’s a farmer.
He has other Ford Rangers on his farm.
They seem to be reliable trucks for him and even if this thing doesn’t work, he can take it and use it for parts.

I felt good about it and about the honesty of the man.

But I can’t make a deal without first discussing it with Max.
I can’t get a hold of Max on the phone.
I realize, after getting Nice Man’s phone number and Nice Man leaves, that if I need to contact my husband in a hurry, I need to call him on his cell phone – not his office phone. (Apparently I wasn’t paying attention to what number I was dialing.)

Duh.

Max agrees to the deal, calls Nice Man and shakes hands over the phone.
Nice man will send someone over to pick it up in the morning. And they will even take the “junk” that is sitting in the back (an old broken plastic swimming pool, yard debris, etc).

And JUST LIKE THAT
by 9:30 p.m.
our little pick-up was sold.

Without even trying.

Things like that don’t happen to us!

It’s truly a blessing!!

Too bad I don’t have a picture of it to put on here. It’s in the background of a lot of pics I have, but I have never taken a picture of the truck alone.
I’ll have to do that in the morning, before it drives off into the sun.

Good-bye, P.J.!