I spent a total of 5 hours in a car today. The Furniture Team went out to Naperville to present new catalogue items to the Call Center Staff. Start time was 9am, sharp.
My co-worker, whom I had just met yesterday for the first time, offered to pick me up so we could carpool together. I said sure as long as I could buy her a latte for the drive. And so it began...
Neither of us were expecting this afternoon's snow storm. Nor were we expecting to hit heavy traffic at 3:45pm. I didn't get home until 7:15pm. It was a brutal drive home. Bumper to bumper, creeping and crawling along, my Thomas Guide sprawled across my lap as I searched for side roads and shortcuts.
It was a tough ride and we were both so desperate to just get out of the car and stretch our legs. But in the midst of all of our frustration, exhaustion and hopelessness, a friendship was born.
She and I began our morning with typical chit chat. Where are you from? How long have you worked with the company? What neighborhood do you live in? Nothing too deep or heavy, I mean we had just met and it was 7am. So we filled up the 90 minute ride with light-hearted conversation.
The car ride home, though, we began to tip toe around more personal topics. Do you miss your family? Where would you buy a home if you were to buy right now? The accident that almost took her husband's life.
And then there came the moment where our casual conversation turned towards friendship and we opened up and began sharing our stories, our thoughts and our feelings. That conversation was slower and more purposeful. It was lovely. We talked about relationships, home, children and then prayer. I have no idea how we got onto the topic of prayer but it just unfolded naturally. It wasn't a weird sorta of conversation, it was just simple and easy. And it didn't last for long but I remember peering out my passenger window at the snow falling down and thinking to myself, "God had to stick me in a car for 5 hours today in order for me to take the time to get to know this woman. And I'm grateful for that."
Who knew a traffic jam could create such a wonderful thing.
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