At the moment, I feel like a bit of a dope. A sheepish dope. A dope who needed a kick in the pants for her mini pity party, but who got a nice helping of blessing instead. God is good to me, ya know?
About 15 minutes after I wrote my last post, an email popped into my inbox from a girl from MOPs who has 5-month-old twin girls. I had given her my contact info a couple of weeks ago, and I told her that we walk regularly on our local trail, and Seth and I would love it if she and the girls would join us. (She mentioned that she walks every day.) Like a ninny, I gave her the wrong phone number. I was having a spacey day, and I gave her a combo of some old number of mine and our new number. Well, today, right when I needed it, she emailed to ask if we could plan a walk, and to tell me that my number hadn't worked. I called her, and she was actually eager to go today. As in, wants to plan something now, not later. So, after our babies get up, we're all hitting the trail this afternoon!
Then... my CBS leader called. She was giving me the prayer requests for the week, and she said she was sorry that she had to get a sub for group next week. Her son is out of school. I wondered at the fact that she couldn't find somebody to watch an 8-year-old for a few hours. She admitted that she hasn't done a good job of opening up to people and working at making friends lately. So, in a surge of renewed courage, I asked if she'd like to go to lunch sometime after CBS. (Hey, I'm not that courageous, I had to make it vague). Her response was so enthusiastic that I followed up by suggesting next week. So, Seth and I and her little boy will be going out for lunch after CBS next Thursday. Hmm, maybe moms with slightly older kids is an untapped market... =)
Ironic, ain't it? But, hey, I don't believe in luck. I believe in mercy and goodness and kindness and a Father who wants to bless me with good things, even when I don't deserve it, and even when I whine too much. After all, if there's one thing I'm learning in my Bible study this year, it's that the God of the Old Testament is the same kind, merciful, just, forgiving father He is in the New. He is just, but He is so quick to give second chances for the, sometimes, 5 minutes, that His people call on Him before they go back to worshipping pagan idols. He never gives up on us. I'm so thankful for mercy, and I'm so thankful that He sees fit to provide encouragement to me, the least of these, on the normalest days of this everyday, suburban life.
1 comment:
I remember that your mom-in-law had a very special talent for gently reaching out to people-- & becoming their friend. She used to invite me over for very casual lunches. Sometimes she'd fix it while I sat at her kitchen table & talked to her. Our children weren't quite as young as Seth is, so you might face a few more "challenges"-- but on the other hand, we were in Germany with very few restaurants or other "entertainment" options-- so we spent a lot of time talking & eating in our homes.
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