Ballerinas and Pickup Trucks

By Joey Tripoli

Synopsis

It’s in our simple, day to day stories that God speaks volumes. That’s what Ballerinas and Pickup Trucks is all about. You’ll be amazed at how God will teach you through ordinary, everyday experiences when you take the time to look for him. This inspiring collection of memoirs, poetry and prayer will encourage you to seek his face and his grace, in everything you do. Before you know it, you’ll be searching for him - even in the little things - and finding him in big ways!

Let these stories remind you of your own. Let them remind you of who you are, and to whom you belong. And from them, learn how the fruits of the Holy Spirit can be nurtured and brought to bear in your life. He’s with you, each and every day, and in every moment. Look for him. “Seek his face always” (Psalm 105:4, NIV).

When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek." (Psalm 27:8, NASB)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636306001

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Had I Only Known

Once Upon A Time

Spaghetti for the Soul

got joy?

Rejoice!

Ballerinas and Pickup Trucks

…It Happens

Hallin' Oats

Ballerina

Hold your Horses!

Shoes

Stolen Shoes

One More Thing

Glitter in the Mud

Scratches and Scars

Guts ‘n' Guilt

Make a Joyful Noise

Ping-Pong-Pain

Because of You

Barbie Doll

He'd Drive a Pickup

Pick-Me-Up-Truck

Is There a Problem, Officer?

Just Say No

The Invisible Log

Skull and Crossbones

Caller I.D.

When You Pray

Gunsmoke

fuggedaboudit

The Best Is Yet To Come

Happily Ever After

Adagio

Turn the Page

You Always Knew

Gratitude

Which There?

About the Author

cover.jpg

Ballerinas and Pickup Trucks

Joey Tripoli

ISBN 978-1-63630-599-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63630-600-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2021 Joey Tripoli

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Memoirs with a Message

Poetry and Prayer

A voice says, Cry!

And I said, What shall I cry?

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:6–8, ESV

Had I Only Known

Why is life filled

With so many

Last days?

I guess it's because

Nothing

Here

Stays.

We can't remember

Them all,

But they happened

Just the same.

And they left us

As quickly…

As quickly

As they came.

Like the last day

Your mom

Baked your birthday cake.

Or the last day

Her hand,

In yours,

You would take.

The last day

Your dad

Threw you up in the air,

And caught you

In his arms,

Without a worry

Or care.

The last day

You peddled,

While he ran by your side,

On your shiny

New bike,

He just taught you to ride.

The last day

You'd call

That old house,

Home.

You'd have never left…

Had you only

Known.

The last day

You'd carry

Your own baby

Upstairs,

And tuck him in gently,

With kisses

And prayers.

The last day

You'd bounce

Him 'round on your hip,

Or rock him to sleep

On your chest…

You didn't know

Those days were

So few,

You didn't know

They were

The Best.

The last day

You'd play

Hide-and-go-seek,

Or give him

A piggy-back-ride.

The last day

There were no secrets,

'Cause in you,

He'd always

Confide.

The last day

You'd drive him

To and from school,

When he'd laugh at your jokes,

And thought you were cool.

The last day

You were

Taller…

And he looked up

To you.

Whenever that was,

Man,

You never knew.

I swear,

If I knew

It was the last…

I'd have made it

Last.

Somehow.

But there was just

No way,

I didn't know…

Couldn't have known,

'Til now.

Oh, if I had…

I'd have never let go.

I'd have held on

Forever.

But I didn't know.

How is it

That moments,

You can't even recall,

Can still crush your heart?

Still make the tears fall?

How can it be

That the

Memories,

Of things you didn't know,

Are now the ones

You treasure most…

Had you known,

You'd have

Never

Let

Go.

I know what you're thinking, Well, that was depressing. And you're probably wondering why I would start this book off on such a sad note. What's that got to do with ballerinas or pickup trucks? You might just want to put this book down, already. Quit before you start. I mean, who needs to sit around thinking about this kind of stuff? Who needs another tear-jerker? Isn't life hard enough?

The point, though, that I am trying to make in this poem is that we continually turn pages all throughout our lives. We close one chapter, and begin the next. And so many times, we have no idea that we're on the last page of one chapter, until we flip it over, and see that a new one has just begun (whether we like it or not).

There are times when, had we known, we'd have never turned the page. We'd have stayed there forever, if we could have. And while our hearts may long to return, we can't go back anymore than we can read a book backwards to arrive at our happy ending, or any type of resolution. Stories don't work that way. Our lives don't either.

And that's why God doesn't let us peek ahead to the next chapter, or even the next page. He knows that if we did, there'd be times when we'd refuse to go on. We'd just stay put. We'd dig in our heels and park it. And in doing so, we'd cease to live and never fulfill our purpose.

And so we must continue to turn each page, not knowing when we're about to finish one chapter, and enter the next. It's those times, those turning points in our lives, that we look back upon and think, Had I only known…

But don't beat yourself up. You weren't meant to know. It's God's wisdom and grace that keeps us from knowing what's on the next page until we get there. He understands that we can only handle one page at a time, Today's trouble is enough for today (Matthew 6:34, NLT). If we trust him, we'll keep turning the pages, not knowing what's next. If we don't, we'll close the book. Either choice can be hard, but only one is worth it.

We must keep turning pages, the pages we love, and the pages we hate. The pages we wish we could stay on, and the ones we wish we could rip out. We must come to grips with the fact that those tear-stained pages are just as much a part of our story as our most cherished ones.

And we must remember that only God knows what's on every page, and why each one is there. He knows how every single page fits into our whole story, and how it all works out in The End. He knows there are new favorites waiting for us just around the corner. Some things he's foreshadowed, and given us faith to anticipate. While others remain hidden.

Don't bother trying to skip ahead. It's impossible. It won't be the same as when you get there, because when you get there, he'll be there with you. It won't be like what you're thinking now. You couldn't possibly put yourself there yet. The things you fear, may not even exist. The rivers you think you could never cross, you might walk through with ease. And if you can't, he'll carry you. You have to trust him till you're there; and when you arrive, keep trusting.

Some pages of your story might look like some pages in my Bible…wrinkled and wavy with tears, stained with drops of mascara. They may be messy, but they belong. If you tried ripping them out, your story wouldn't make sense, and would never be complete.

We have to trust God with our whole story. He taught me that trusting him doesn't mean I would never feel scared or sad anymore. On the contrary, it means that even when I feel like my whole world's unravelling, and even when I doubt everything and everyone else—I don't doubt him. That's trust.

We need to be brave enough to embrace each part of our lives, knowing God is with us. We're living true stories, that means there's going to be all kinds of chapters: some sweet and exciting, some scary, some tear-jerkers, some dull and boring, some humiliating, some proud, some life-changing…even some cliffhangers. This is real life. It ain't no fairy tale. But I promise you, if you give God the pen, he'll still write you your happily ever after.

In the meantime, it takes strength and perseverance. We need to stay close to the One we trust. We need to start having real conversations with him. Afterall, how's he supposed to help us through our real lives, if we're not being real with him? (If the idea of sitting down to an uninhibited heart-to-heart with God seems a little intimidating, I hope you will read my previous book, Coffee Cup Conversations.)

You see, we have to let him into our everyday lives. We've got to be honest with him. We can be fake with everybody else (don't recommend it, but probably have been), but we can't be fake with God. He knows us too well. And he doesn't want that kind of superficial relationship with us. He wants the real thing, and boy, do we need it!

I was having one of these conversations with God on a day that marked a very significant date for me. One I wish I could just wipe off the calendar, and erase from my mind. If there was any page I could rip out of my life, it'd be this one. But I can't. It's there, and it's there for a reason. I woke up to this day, not knowing how I was going to get through it. As soon as I could, I got alone with God, and I begged him, God, just get me through today. Immediately, I felt his response comfort my heart, Not just today…your whole life.

That's just like him, isn't it? To do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20, KJV). Yes, he is capable of doing immeasurably more than we could even imagine (NIV), beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams (AMP). But we think so small sometimes, don't we?… Just get me through today.

Come on! We're talking to the Creator of life, the Creator of the universe and everything in it! The Author of time and eternity! He sees so much further than just today. In fact, he's got all our days in the palm of his hand, from the beginning to the end, and forevermore. He knows every one of our days; he knows us. He knows the depths of our soul, he formed it. He sees our spirit, he created it. He's been with us since the very beginning.

My frame was not hidden from Thee,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Thy book they were all written,

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:15–16, NASB)

You see, he's known us forever, and has forever loved us. I know I said this ain't no fairy tale, and it's not—but he did know you, Once upon a time.

Once Upon A Time

He knew you

Once upon a time…

When you were as real

As the tears,

Falling from your face.

Before you started hiding

Behind your fears

And your

Disgrace.

He knew you

Once upon a time…

Before you believed the lies.

He felt the pain you carried,

He heard all of your cries.

He knew you

Before

You started to pretend,

To be somebody else,

Just so

You could have a friend.

He knew you

Once upon a time…

And He loved

Whom He had made.

He never stopped

Seeing the real you,

Despite the games

You played.

He knew you

Once upon a time…

Before your heart was shattered,

When your life was pure,

And true.

He loved it,

Way back then…

When you were

Really

You.

Oh, return to who you were,

Once upon a time…

Let Him wash away the world—

All its guilt,

And all its grime.

Return to Him Who made you,

And let Him hold you close.

Return to who you are…

And the One

Who loves you most.

He loves you still,

Right now,

Just like He did back then.

You didn't have

To look so far…

Just to

Find a Friend.

He loves you…

The real you,

Your real tears,

And your real laughter.

And He'll lead you,

If you let Him,

To your happily ever after.

Do you remember the real you, Once upon a time? Do you remember the you before your heart was shattered, before you started to pretend? Do you even know what it would be like to be that authentic again? Can you imagine how it would feel to know and love yourself the way God does? I can't. I'm working on it…but I know God likes me a whole lot more than I like myself. He loves me…the real me, and that's hard to imagine, let alone do. If you're like me, you have a much easier time accepting other people's flaws than you do your own. It's so much easier to forgive them for the pain they caused you, than to forgive yourself for the pain you caused them.

Yeah, it's hard to look in the mirror some days. Some days all you see is ugly. You see your fears and insecurities, your regrets and remorse. You see hate, and how it's hardened your heart. You see pain, and how it's painted a new face on you. You don't feel, or even look, like you anymore.

It can feel impossible, sometimes, to keep turning the pages in this life. It takes courage. It's not easy to grow old gracefully or admit your brokenness. Our world worships youth and idolizes perfection. And so we mask our pain and our flaws as soon as they show up. We cover what we can with cosmetics. And there's a surgery…excuse me, a procedure, for just about any improvement you want to make. Easier still, there's a pill for any feeling you want to have—or hide. And so we make up our own image, create our own reality. But something's missing. It doesn't feel right. Because it's not real.

You see, in order to live a real life, we have to experience it. We have to accept the bumps and bruises, the ups and downs, and yes, even the lines and wrinkles. If we want to have pure joy, true peace, and unconditional love, then we must be brave enough to embrace our real lives.

But sometimes a pill is so much easier to swallow than our pride—or our pain. We don't think we can do it. We don't think we have what it takes—and we don't, not on our own, anyway. Still, we've got to stop enhancing, masking and numbing our-true-selves, as imperfect as we may be.

This book is not about pain, although it was, no doubt, inspired by it. This book is not meant to diminish your heartache or downplay your hard knocks. It's not anti-medication, anti-self-improvement, or anti-anything. I don't know what you've been through, and so I would never assume the authority to tell you how to survive your suffering, or how to hide your vulnerability.

But…

I will say, there is one Way that can't hurt. There's one Way, that if you haven't tried yet, you really ought to. You owe it to yourself. It's the only Way that will lead you to everything for which your heart has been beating and burning this whole time. Come on…you've tried everything else, haven't you? Can't you, at least, then, give this a shot? You won't regret it, like so many of the other things you've tried.

What is this Way?

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life' (John 14:6, NIV). Jesus is the Way to the truth and to the life you were meant to have, the one you were created to live. The one in which you are the real you…scars and all, and you're still beautiful. The life in which you can have lasting joy, despite all the let-downs and setbacks you've faced. The life in which you can still hold true love, even in a broken heart. He is the only Way to that life.

Of course, you could just go on believing that you could never have it, or worse yet, pretending that you already do. It's up to you. You're free to believe and do what you want. But I'll take the real thing any day, because the alternative is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

Want what's real? Then take what you have, and offer it to Jesus. He'll take it all—your sadness, fears, insecurities, anxieties, mistakes, your wounds and weaknesses… Anything you've got. Your best and your worst. He'll take it. And he'll help you work through those things, rise above them, and uncover the beautiful spirit that is you! Jesus knows how to get to your heart, as shattered as it may be; and if you let him, he'll heal it. If you let him, he'll give you beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3, NLT) and he'll turn your mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:11, KJV). But only he can do it. He's the only Way.

Spaghetti for the Soul

Ever crave the comfort,

of what you remember,

and things you know?

Like Grandma's

homemade bread…

sprinkled with sugar,

after frying the dough.

And what about the words,

From one who loved you,

good or bad?

The laughter,

or just a smile,

from the best friend

you ever had?

Comfort food,

words of truth,

and love that never ends…

we all crave it,

we all need it.

But do we get it?

Just depends.

Unless you know

where to go,

for all of the above…

Comfort,

Truth,

and Friendship,

and yes,

undying Love.

The Good Book,

so it's been called—

it has its push and pull,

but to those

who've tasted

what's inside,

it's like spaghetti

for the soul.

Someone asked me if my books were like Chicken Soup for the Soul.