It was Saturday evening and Rob had just picked up his daughter after track practice. He headed for home but pulled into the gas station for a cup of coffee. Amanda questioned this since he didn’t usually drink coffee in the evening but he replied that he just felt the urge to stop. He paid for the steaming brew and overheard the clerk and another customer discussing the woman out there with the flat tire problem. He headed straight for her car as he exited, intending to help her change it.

The next morning I entered church and said “Hi” to Rob sitting on the back row. I found my way up to the front and wondered why he wasn’t sitting with his family when I noticed that they were in their usual spot.

The service began with a loud, upbeat praise song. The amplified guitar sounded extremely loud and the drummer seemed to be trying to drown out the guitar. Did anyone else notice how loud and irritating it was?

My right ear was throbbing when I realized it must be sensitive from the cold I was getting over. I literally couldn’t take it. It hurt! I felt kinda rude standing there with my hand over my ear so I slipped out of the row and took a seat at the back right next to Rob. Ah, that was better.

Suddenly the older woman sitting on the other side of Rob began to cough. Rob handed her a Kleenex from his back pocket and then slipped out of the sanctuary. She continued to cough. I dug in my purse and handed her a handful of cough drops and she received them gratefully. She popped one in her mouth and it seemed to give her some relief. Rob returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water for her.

I was pondering the possibility that my ear problem was a God-thing to get me to the back of the church with my cough drops. I didn’t realize that Rob was an even bigger part of God’s little plan for this woman. I thought she might be his mom but I learned the real story later.

The woman had been traveling in an old beat up vehicle, escaping a domestic abuse situation and on her way to Texas. She had a flat tire and exited right here in our town and found her way to the gas station where Rob had stopped for his coffee. She didn’t have a spare tire. Rob called around and there was nowhere open that had what she needed. He ended up putting her up in a local motel, inviting her to church with him, buying her lunch and a new tire and sending her on her way.

I can’t help but think how God’ timing is so perfect. There were so many things that fell into place. She seemed so full of joy and gratitude when I met her. That’s what hope looks like.

Just another small miracle brought to you by God (with a little help from his servant, Rob).

The month of March was the third warmest on record here in Missouri. They told us that it wasn’t going to last but I had been lulled into the hope of an early spring.

I watched as the peach trees bloomed. I planted the cold-hardy veggies, and sneaked in a few of the later ones, too. The cherry tree burst into bloom followed by the pears. I was harvesting asparagus…in March! My water lily leafed out and floated gracefully over the heads of my fish and some tadpoles that have hatched out. Even the lilac began to bloom!

Then it happened. Not just a frost but a hard freeze! Predictions of lows down in the 20°s were realized. …And there was nothing I could do but watch.

I drove off to work and noticed all the tulip heads hanging. They looked as if they were deeply saddened. They seemed to be praying, every head bowed. The timing was perfect (as God’s timing always is). Holy Week.

Those flowers reminded me how only a few days earlier they had been beautiful and proud, rejoicing in the light and warmth of the sun… just like the people had on Palm Sunday so many years ago. I wonder what the disciples must have been thinking…”Ah, at last! He is getting the recognition and priase he deserves!”.

Jesus warned them repeatedly that he would die, that they would fail him. They just didn’t get it. My brain knew that the cold weather surely couldn’t be over yet… but I wanted it so badly. Then the cold streak hit and it has taken its toll.

The tulips bend almost to the ground in their sorrow. The disciples must have hung their heads like that in their shame. They surely all wanted had thoughts of their failure. They may have even wanted to kill themselves just as Judas did.

In the afternoon on my way home from work, SURPRISE, the tulips had raised their heads again. The sun had come out and got their juices flowing! They were not standing so tall and proud now… just a little bent. The Son came back to the disciples, too. He gave them hope again. They finally got it. They went on, humbled now, understanding what true sacrifice is. Understanding what Grace is. They had hope and humility and faith. They did go on living and spreading the Good News.

We are forgiven. We can start over again knowing that. We can raise our heads again. Jesus is here with us! We can keep on going in hope and in serivtude and in joy! Happy Easter to all of you, my friends.

This morning I got up and headed down to do a load of laundry before work. I grabbed a fresh bottle of bleach and there was one of those safety tabs on it. I couldn’t get a good grip to pull it off. I was frustrated and needing my morning coffee. I finally gave it a big yank and off it came splashing bleach all over me.

I felt it on my face. My right eye was burning but it was just fumes from th bleach on my face. My glasses had saved my eye. I reached down to the piles of laundry on the floor and grabbed something to wipe my face and chest, dropped the robe and ran to the bathroom to rinse it off of me. I wondered if my eyebrows were bleached.

When all was said and done, my robe was totally ruined. The bleach that splattered to the floor mostly splashed the whites. It left a white trail on my garden pants and Kev’s paint pants… missed Angus’ work uniform by a quarter inch. I smelled bleach all day… I’m smelling it now as a matter of fact.

Okay, I’d been wallowing in a pity pool the night before, feeling under appreciated and taken for granted. I wanted to be over it but I wasn’t. Did God give me a bit of a wake up call this morning?

“HELLO! Don’t you know how good you have it!? Great family and friends and, look, I’m watching out for you! Nothing of value ruined... you weren’t in your work clothes. The bleach didn’t get in your eye... you aren’t blinded. Your hair didn’t turn bleach blonde either... just a few highlights. All is well. I was right there with you. Wake up! You think you are taken for granted… underappreciated... what about ME? I give and give and give and love and love and love and people, like you, don‘t even notice! But I just keep giving and loving anyway, hoping that someday you‘ll notice and give me the praise and gratitude I require of you. I still have hope for you.”

So, Father God, please forgive me for my self-pity and my selfishness and my self-righteouness. Guide me closer to you and reveal yourself to me. Thank you so much for all you have given because I know that it all comes from you. Thanks for sending beautiful reminders of your grace and your glory. But mostly thanks for never giving up on me. Show me how to follow your example when I am dealing with people that disappoint me. Help me to remember that you love them, too.
Amen