Tractors

Tractors

My Dad has always had a garden.  At least, as far back as I can remember.  Being the oldest, I learned to drive a tractor at the age of 7.  Now, if you know me, you know that I am not a very big person.  At the age of 7, I could not sit on the seat of the tractor and push the clutch in, and the brake in at same time.  I literally leaned against the seat to accomplish those tasks. 

I will never forget the first time Dad wanted me to plow close to the carrots to get the weeds out.  He showed me what to do, and I was being very careful, but somehow I spent so much time looking behind me, that I wasn't watching where I was going, and I plowed up the whole row of carrots.  Dad kicked my behind and sent me back to the house.  I learned a lesson.  You can't drive a tractor by looking behind you.  It wasn't the last time I drove either.  Dad had me back on that mechanical horse, and I eventually learned to be a very good driver.

 Driving on flat ground is very different than chugging up a hill.  One day my Dad wanted my sister Sharla, and me to meet him in another garden, which was about 5 miles away.  Sharla was riding her bike, while I drove the tractor.  By this time, I am probably 10 years old, and Sharla is 8.  We were doing fine, until we started climbing up hill.  I had the tractor in the highest gear, which was third.  The hills were more steep now, and I needed to gear down into second or first gear, because the tractor was lugging. I pushed the clutch in to switch gears and I started to roll down the hill.  Sharla was behind me totally unaware that I was yelling at her to get out of my way.  She always was hard of hearing.  My legs were too short to adequately push the clutch and the brake at the same time.  The only thing I could do, is let the tractor roll down the hill, until I could get it to a place where I could back up on level ground. By this time, I am almost in a panic.  Begging God to help me, I finally got Sharla's attention and she moved out of the way of the tractor, which by this time was rolling down the hill quite rapidly.  The other factor that terrified me, was the canal.   It hadn't been that long ago that we crossed the canal bridge.  I was praying like crazy that He would show me what to do.  Finally, the only level ground that I could back up on, was right by the edge of the canal.  I was able to stop the tractor, push in the clutch and switch gears.
    
It was some time before I could get my hands and legs to quit shaking and my heart to get out of my throat.  Sharla, still unaware of the danger she had been in, was chasing chipmunks.  Looking into the water of the canal, which was at my right, I thanked the Lord over and over again, that all had ended well.  

A few years ago, my Dad suffered a heart attack and had to have six by-pass surgery.  I spent some time writing my Dad a letter, telling him basically everything I would say at his funeral.   I told him this story and that I had forgiven him, because in all reality, this was one assignment that I was ill-equipped to handle.  But then again, my Heavenly Father had intervened when I needed Him.