My mamaw and papaw’s house was not only one of the oldest in the community where I grew up, but it was also considered the center of the community. I often heard it referred to as: “The Clark’s” or “The Clark’s Place.” They often had visitors. Some of them stayed in the driveway.
I know that sounds strange, but my grandparents also had one of the largest driveways in the community and they needed it. They were bus contractors and farmers. It wasn’t uncommon to drive by their place and see their cars, a school bus, tractor, farm truck, and a trailer loaded down with hay sitting in the driveway.
Sometimes family and neighbors would be driving by and decide to stop and chat for a while if they saw one of us outside. They would pull up and park in the driveway. I can remember watching my family members walking out to their vehicle. If the conversation was very long, my Papaw would squat down next to the them as he talked. It was the neighborly thing to do.
Then there were strangers who pulled in the driveway so they could turn around. That happened a lot and I can understand why. It was a large driveway with that gave you a good view of the road both ways, so you could pull out without worrying about a car coming around the corner on you. There were even times they would ask for directions if somebody was outside. Remember, back in the day there was no GPS or Google Maps.
My mother told me at a very young age to never go near a strange car when they pull in to turn around. If they asked something, I had to go and get an adult because not all people were good and trustworthy. To be honest, that kind of scared me. So, if I was playing in the yard or in the carport at my grandparent’s house when a strange vehicle pulled into the driveway, I would run inside the house until they were gone. Some days it was rather irritating because it happened many times. I didn’t like my playtime interrupted.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19 (KJV)
The term “converted” means to turn about. When you do that, you go in the opposite direction just like vehicles used to do when they turned around in the driveway. So, repentance is more than just saying, “I’m sorry.” It is literally turning away from your sin and walking the other way away from it. By the way, if you need directions, Jesus is the one you ask. He is the only one who can truly set you on the right path.
As I was writing this story, I had a realization. Even though we moved years ago, Tim and I still live next door to a turnaround area. There’s a small church next to our house that has a paved parking lot. I watch people turn around there quite often. If I am out by myself, I’ll walk back inside when I see them pull in there. I guess some old habits die hard.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.