God In The Little Things

As I came out of church this morning, I saw my car covered in snow.  Only a scant hour before I had walked into that church clutching my umbrella against the heavy rains and wind.  That was then; this is now: winter was back.

As I drove home, the heavy moisture-laden snowflakes each burst across my windshield, in four or five-inch splatters.  It seemed as if I were caught in the middle of a serious snowball fight among the angels, and all around me I saw the white roads and grasses that had been brown just minutes ago.  It was beautiful, and I thanked God for this small gift this day.

The last few days the temperatures had soared into the 50’s around here, ending weeks of below-zero temperatures (and snow) since Christmas Eve.  We had a White Christmas, and New Year’s, and, and, and, …  But then we were given a respite --- and that small blessing made us think of summer and swimsuits, if only for a while.

My Tuesday Meals on Wheels deliveries were to 20 people --- deliveries of a hot meal tray and a brown paper bag of rolls, fruits and milk.  My car was full with large thermal carry-bags, to keep the hot food hot, and to pile all the brown bags into a manageable heap.  The temperatures had broken 30 that morning, and I drove around with my coat open, and everyone I delivered to seemed to be smiling, happy for the “warm” cold temperatures.  But as I reached the end of the delivery route, the last 6 stops at a mobile home trailer park, I reached into the hot bag for a meal tray and noticed:  there were only 4 hot meals left for the 6 remaining stops.  Uh-oh.  My mind immediately flipped from good thoughts to ones of how do I handle the shortage.  The obvious solution was to deliver what I had and then return to the pickup point for 2 more meals and come back to the park --- adding thirty to forty-five minutes to my morning commitment.  I resolved, grudgingly, to do just that as I delivered a meal to the first trailer stop.  And when I went to the second, still in a bad mood, there was no answer at the door.  He was not home.  And when I knocked at the third, there also was no answer.  Suddenly my grumblings “Oh-no!” turned into: “Well, Lord, I see You planned this well.  Thank You.”

I had said “Uh-oh,” and unheard, God had said: “Got that.”

On Thursday, I received an email telling me that one of the people I was to deliver groceries to that afternoon would be at the doctor: “Leave my groceries on the porch,” she wrote.  Uh-oh; heavy rains were forecast, and I thought about the paper grocery bags and boxes I’d deliver.  How could I cover them from the rain?  But then I had another surprise.  When I went to pick up the food at the food distribution ministry, I was told one of the other delivery volunteers was sick, and I had three new stops to make, and was given addresses, but no directions --- and my flip phone would be of no help.  So, I loaded groceries, filling my car, and made home my first stop --- to look up directions to the added delivery locations.  After mapping out the now 60-mile delivery route, I finally set out --- late.

Every single person I delivered groceries to that afternoon was pleasant, and thankful.  And I think perhaps, especially, Emily, who I helped walk to her trailer just as a friend was dropping her off from her doctor’s appointment.  “You’re late,” she said,” but I’m glad.  I was so worried my groceries would be a soggy mess on the porch when I got home.”  She needn’t to have worried --- nor should have I --- God had things covered, again.

I wasn’t looking for these small blessing these past few days.  And I wondered: how many had I missed?  I suspect we all miss many blessings, as we focus on our daily worries, never noticing that perhaps God took care of some of the biggest ones.

And we never even said thanks.