Keep smiling

I’m smiling.

You might not think so when you see what I am about to write, but we are jumping ahead to the end of the book, if you will.

Yesterday the planning and scheduling was done to unload the Church building container on the clinic property. We had spent lots of money fixing the road, coordinated the crane, working with the customs agent, trucking company, and shipping company. All was set.

There was a plan in place on the property where to put the crane, how to unload the container, and where to put it.

Easy right? Not so fast.

  

The crane took quite a bit of time to get set and prepared. After one attempt in its location to lift it and put it where it was to go (on top of the container wall) seen here...he decided the crane was not up to the task...even though the reported total weight of the container and contents was supposedly ~48,000lbs, and the crane was rated for 80,000. We paid extra for this crane for its heavier capacity...but for not.

So, they repositioned the trailer/container and the crane to just pick it up and sit it down, we could pay again later to pick it up when unloaded to put it on its perch. Not ideal, but ok.

And then...as he was picking it up, the cables on the crane on the far end snapped.

Upon snapping the container fell down, and then onto the crane. The crane operator saw what was coming and jumped out...injuring his knee in the process, but no one else was hurt,

not by the cables, the container falling, running for cover, etc. It could have been much...much worse. Even with their careful setting things up...not much you can plan for on the cables breaking. Not only could someone have been killed...the falling container has relatively not damaged the crane, nor somehow did not hit the semi, and from what we could see from the open door did not damage the building pieces...although we won’t know for sure until we get it there to see for sure. The container itself will have two or three big dents in its side.

So...after much wrangling and using the crane some more...the semi was able to leave, but he left the chasis up by the clinic (said he could not turn around) and the container...sits on the crane.

They are bringing another crane tomorrow to try to sit it down and then move it to a temporary location for us to unload, also allowing their trapped crane to leave as well.

God has a plan. I don’t get it right now, but I know...I really know...there is a reason for all this.

 

 

Additionally, struck by that sinking feeling you get when you see a container falling over and the aftermath...I was also struck by what a beautiful day it was, and what a beautiful evening it became as we were there until after 7:00 with all this.

Sometimes you laugh to keep from crying...like when I was thinking about being Yoda and just using the force to pick the container up and move it...or then pick it up off the crane...or then pick up the semi to to get it out...you get the idea.

But I can say that through all this...I’m smiling. Not for what I know or see...but for Who I know.