God is present and can be found in every moment,
in every detail,
of our lives if we take time to notice!
Recently, there was one particular day that I was reminded of that very fact in my simple, ordinary day.
I had seen a write up from a coworker, who I had never talked to before, about a basket raffle she was holding to help raise money to cover expenses for her brother, also an employee I do not know, who suffered a stroke back in August. In addition, he found out about an autoimmune disease he now has. Feeling led to give a monetary donation to her to help him out, I ended up talking to her face to face for the first time this particular day.
Without knowing either one of them, I did not know what their thoughts about God were. When getting the donation ready, I had the thought of bringing two of my old books of writings for each of them just in case I got a sense that they might end up blessing them in some small way, hopefully providing a little encouragement.
In our short conversation, the coworker did mention the word “God” and I found out they were both believers so I felt good giving her the books. She said she would have to read them to him. When I first emailed her to see what area she worked in for sure, she mentioned that if he ever left the hospital, it would be a miracle. She also mentioned that you can’t give up HOPE!
Photo courtesy of Chronic Joy® under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Well, I am happy to report that a miracle did happen!! On Thanksgiving Day, he was cleared to go home though given a 6 month or so life expectancy. If anything “strange” happens he will need to return to the hospital and then have to go to a nursing home. I was so very grateful to hear the news that he was able to go home!
What a God thing, in the middle of writing these thoughts, to see something that said “Prayers are the first steps in miracles!” Once she shared it would be a miracle, I started praying! God is good!
I treasure that interaction and the privilege of being able to pray for her brother and all the family as well as getting updates on his progress every now and then.
++++++++++++
As I was walking in the door at a nearby auto garage to drop a car off for inspection the next day, I hear the gentleman at the desk ask a mechanic if he could run a lady home. Only with God’s perfect timing, which is always impeccable, did it happen to be a good friend of ours. In fact she calls my husband and I her “other children!” They are the one couple that I wrote about in my earlier thoughts “Inspirational Living” several years ago. Feel free to click that link and read about them. 🙂 Her husband is unable to drive so dropping off a car for her is more challenging especially if the car needs to be there for any length of time.
Without hesitation, when I saw her at the counter, I said, “I’ll take her home” and then return later to the garage to leave my car. So, that is what we did. My day had the added bonus of spending a few minutes visiting with the couple, which is always such a blessing to me. This gentleman is in pain every waking minute of his day and unfortunately it seems to be getting worse…if that is possible. Both of their attitudes are always positive, and they always care about you, making you feel special and loved.
When I returned to the garage to drop my car off, I ended up having a lengthy, great conversation with the gentleman at the counter about God and faith in our lives~~something that is always a blessing to me. It is so great to be able to share and learn from other’s experiences and views.
++++++++++++
Truth be told, in case you didn’t yet know, I struggle with making decisions overthinking on the possible outcomes! As I was walking home from the garage, I couldn’t decide whether to take a little diversion in my path, to Dunkin Donuts, to get an afternoon “pick me up” special or to skip going there. Ultimately, my feet took me there (don’t tell anyone!) In doing so, the blessing I encountered was seeing a gal working there that had quit about 6 months earlier. My day is always brighter when seeing her and the smile that is always on her face. I was very surprised to see her again but was pleasantly blessed to talk with her once again. I was glad I went for two reasons! 😉
May my sharing these three stories about a day in my life inspire you to see God in the ordinary, mundane tasks of your life.
Did something come to mind how you have seen God in your ordinary day that you would be so kind to share in the comment section below? It is a blessing when you take a few minutes to include your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
“I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. No one can hide where I cannot see them. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth?” –Jeremiah 23:23-24 (GNT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. –Romans 8:28 (NLT)
Nikki sprained her ankle in a basketball game last Thursday. We encountered God in so many people that night! There was the athletic trainer on duty that night who did such a wonderful job of keeping Nikki calm, various parents of Nikki’s teammates who expressed concern and offered to help, including the mother of one of the varsity players (who I never even met) who reached out to us that night to let us know that she had checked to see if any of the orthopedic doctors in the practice where she worked had openings, and that there was a time available the next morning at 9:30! There were a few players on the opposing team who Nikki had played on a travel team with a number of years ago who came up to her to say they hoped she was ok, one of them contacting her again the next day to check in to see how she was doing.
As anyone who has been through it with a child knows, a sports injury is somewhat of a traumatic experience. But in the midst of it all, we just felt so cared about and loved! I’m not sure if any of the people involved truly realize how much their actions meant to us! But it was certainly a reminder to me of how much my small actions can mean to someone else.
I’m sorry to hear about Nikki’s injury, Barb, but how very special that all those different people made a difficult thing a little easier! That is so awesome to see; a perfect example of how much the “little” things make such a difference in our lives. Thank you so much for sharing…God’s perfect timing too~ I hope Nikki heals quickly! Blessings to you all.
I saw Lilly last night a bible study. (the woman you spoke about who you gave a ride home to from the garage) for those who do not know her. She had to leave early this morning for Baltimore for her monthly eye injections at John’s Hopkins, which she has done now for at least 3 years. She does not want to go blind in that eye. She asked me to pray for her journey today. Could I ask all who read this to pray for Lilly. She has a huge responsibility taking care of Greg every day plus her own trial with her eye. Yesterday we read Romans 8. We know we all have or will have trials but we also know that our Lord is with us through it all. It was interesting because the speaker on the video said, “Don’t ever be afraid to ask for Healing” Lord we ask for a healing for Lilly.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Helen! I’m joining you in prayer for Lilly today; a simple act that makes such a difference. They sure are such a wonderful example of living faith; always so joyful, loving and caring making you feel special. Blessings!
I had a blessing day in early December. I was angry with something untrue and very unkind that a person close to me had posted on FB about my son. The first time, I prayed about it and forgave him. But then in happened again a few days later. Now I was angry and wanted revenge. Instead I went to Arrowhead Christian Store in JC to begin Christmas shopping. As I walked into the store, I felt very “pushed” to open us a certain devotional on the display rack. When I did, it opened to “July 2nd” and the bible reading for that day was Ephesians 4:32 “and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven you”. The devotion for that day was devoted to how God has been merciful to us and we then need to be merciful to others. The ending said for us to be an imitator of God not a retaliator – practice the law of imitation not retaliation.
That devotional was a blessing for me and I purchased it. It was written by Dr. David Jeremiah.
Wow! What a powerful sharing, Sandy! How I love to hear and see how God is at work in every detail of our lives it we take the time to see Him. He certainly “speaks” to us. I appreciate your reading and perfect example. Thank you so much…. Blessings to you and your family.