Day THREE (out of order) September 7th! Trey's Trek continued...

Mark Hubbard and Trey Hancock

We awoke up this morning and got ourselves ready to continue the Trek North... My friend Mark Hubbard, Grand son of the famed 'Orville Hubbard', long time Mayor of Dearborn came down from Fenton, MI to walk with me today!   The route North was to run right by the Hubbards home, so Mark decided that he would join me!

Today 'this man' was a real encouragement to me!  His upbeat attitude and outlook on life is contagious!  First of all, I did not have to walk by myself and second, he talks to you!  In fact I really learn from Mark!  He not only has neat stories to tell but his experience with Jesus is something else!   He is better than a "Talk Radio Station"!  If I were in Alabama, I would probably say it like this... "He can talk the back legs off a billy goat..." but I am not in Alabama right now so the Talk Radio (word picture) will have to suffice!   Besides he never repeats himself and everything that he says is awesome!  And when he laughs... The trees shake! 

"Hubba Bubba!"
(standing in front of an ant hill!)

But don't mess with him, he will make you think that he can immobilize you with those "Jew jit sue" moves he knows!  But I learned the greatest counter to that stuff!  Just bite whatever is closest to you and the 'hold' just goes away! It's that Simple!  LOL!  Ask him 'if it ain't so!"


It was to be a shorter trek today but mid way through the walk it started raining and it continued a light down pour from 12:30pm to when we arrived at his house just South of Fenton around 4:30pm!  The early part of the morning was cool and overcast as we started out!  We wound our way around the back roads from Commerce Lake up to Denton Hill Road but when we got to M-59 we stopped at Burger King for a bite of lunch!  It was there just after noon when the rain started falling!  It was a gentle but steady rain that soaked us to the bone as we finished our lunch and started up the road again!  I really felt bad for Mark because he did not bring a hat or a rain coat or anything to combat the uncomfortableness of trekking in the 'moisture!'  I had my rain gear with me in my back pack but just did not have the heart to stop and put on my 'stuff' in front of him as he was walking along just getting drenched!  

2 "Super Soakers"
at the end of a 14 mile trek...
and most of it in the pouring rain!

So we "enjoyed" the scenery together as we walked through the countryside on the dirt roads as cars past by and wondered why two middle aged men were sloshing around in the mud out in the middle of no where...you know people were saying to themselves as they would drive by... 'what are they doing out here in the rain?'  We would just smile and wave and try to make folks think that we were enjoying ourselves!  Truth be known...it was fun being together but is was really uncomfortable!  But such is life!  Jesus said that it would rain on the "good and the bad"!  And I can tell you that it literally rained on us!  Both of us!  I just wonder which one was the good one and who was the bad?  I know it must have been me (the bad...)  for even thinking of asking someone to walk with me in the rain, through the mud for over 14 miles!  'Mark... "you are very much too good friend for me!"  This I know!  Thanks Brother!  I owe you! 


But I gotta hand it to him!  Mark, much like Jesus, sacrificed his comfort to be with me on this particular day!  It is a lesson worth experiencing!  Just knowing that he was uncomfortable but did not let that detour him from  his commitment of walking with me every step of the way today...even in the pouring rain!  For me, the persistence of Mark was just a sliver of revelation to the reality of what Jesus went through for me!   Recognizing the sacrifice of others is a starting place for us when we think that we are the only ones in the world that have a struggle or a problem and that 'no one understands' what we are 'going through'!  


Don't kid yourself!  "In this life you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I (Jesus) have overcome the world!"  Remember these words "I will never leave you or forsake you!"


Thank you Jesus!


With my feet on the Ground... (and in the mud!)


Simply Trey