God often shows up in the most unexpected places and faces.
Yesterday was a long day for me. It was only Wednesday, but I had something to do everyday after work. I was truly exhausted and I knew I needed to go and buy groceries because the cupboard was literally bare.
I checked my e-mail right before leaving school and I had a notification from UPS, that the Vacation Bible School supplies I ordered had been dropped off at the back door of our church. People are not consistently there during the day, so I really needed to go and get them. Sigh.
I had prayed that morning for God to show me His face and to help me to be the face of Jesus for others. But, it had been a long not particularly inspiring day. Nothing bad had happened, but nothing great had happened either and I make it my business to search for the good.
I drove to the church, fiddling with the radio, finding nothing I wanted to listen to and being kind of annoyed in general. When I arrived, the package wasn’t at the first door I came to, Uhoh, I hoped it hadn’t been taken. When I got to the other side of the church, there were workmen there, installing a brand new sidewalk and I spied the packages I had come for.
When I got out of the car, I told one of the men how great the sidewalk looked. He thanked me. I told them that VBS had arrived and I pointed to the boxes by the door.
Then, I went to pick up one of the boxes. When I went for a second load, one of the men had stopped what he was doing, picked up the biggest, heaviest box, and followed me to my car. He asked me where to put it.
I gave him a weary smile and thanked him from the bottom of my heart. He told me I was welcome and went back to work.
It seemed like a simple exchange, just a simple kindness, but I knew it was more. When I ask God to show me His face, a lesson I learned from Vacation Bible School through the “God Sightings” challenge, and no, I didn’t miss the irony here; He always does in some unexpected way.
I waited all day long to see a glimpse of grace a glimpse of Jesus, and God saved it for the very end of the day when I was weariest and needed it the most. He sent me a helping hand and a kind smile from a stranger, loading up Vacation Bible School supplies of all things.
I don’t know why I was surprised. That’s usually His way, to show up when I don’t feel that I can take one more step.
I said a prayer of thanks on my drive home and vowed to share
Grace can come in the most unexpected places and faces. May we open our eyes and hearts to see it and may we open our arms and hearts to the world around us, and be it.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂