It was an ordinary day at work, waiting on customers in the drive through line, taking their money, handing out food, and talking and laughing with them.  I have a lot of regulars that come through often enough for me to recognize them, and to count many of them as very good friends.  However, that day, a new couple came to the window.  He was driving, and she was laying down in the passenger seat as best she could.  As I took his money, I noticed she had a hospital wristband on her arm, and when I handed their food back out to them, I mentioned it and told them I would be praying for her the rest of the day….something I do when I have time and God leads me to it.  I also told them they had a “bag of deliciousness” and to have a good rest of their day.  I did pray the rest of that day, and then it faded from my memory.

A few weeks later, Mom and I were eating at our local Applebee’s, and had a very friendly and wonderful waitress.  When she came back with our check, I was laughing with her and she stopped in her tracks and said, “I know you!  You’re my “bag of deliciousness” woman!”  I nodded yes, because I say that to a lot of customers, and looked confused.  She said, “You noticed my hospital band!  I am had just been released because of chemo complications, and felt horrible, but you noticed!”  She went on to explain that she is fighting cancer for the FOURTH time, takes chemo most mornings, and comes into work in the afternoons.  She went on to tell me again how much she appreciated that moment, and that every time since then when her husband brings her CFA, he says, “here’s your bag of deliciousness!”  I was really overwhelmed with her gratitude…and more overwhelmed that the Lord had taken a single moment out of both our days to show His love. She and I became FB friends after that, sharing about our lives and other stuff, and Mom and I continued eating at Applebee’s occasionally and always asking to be seated in her section.  It was a great thing that God had started.

AND YET!  He was not through!  Fast forward to last week’s hurricane, and my yard being a total disaster afterward.  We have many pine trees, and there were about a million pine cones and small limbs, and several HUGE limbs, all over our yard.  The heat and humidity also quickly cranked back up, and we were facing an impossible task in getting it cleaned up with just my hubby and myself, and my Mom.  I posted on FB about our need for help, and because it was Labor Day weekend I had very few offers.  UNTIL.  My new friend saw the post, and within minutes had her husband committed to the task!  He in turn brought their teenage son with him, and with the help of one other person, our yard was returned to beautiful condition after about 7 hours of work between them.  What a blessing that the very people God had brought to me a few months ago to encourage and uplift, now became the very same to us!  He is always the author of something more than what we see!

AND YET STILL!  The story is not finished.  Angel and I (isn’t that an appropriate name?) have discovered a joint love of crocheting and blanket making, and now we have an opportunity to join in ministry together with our talents!  She uses her crocheting to keep her from “going insane” when she’s housebound with chemo reactions, etc, and I have always loved it as a form of “therapy” because I can get lost in it, zone out the present, and allow my mind to roam and think about other, deeper issues while doing it.

The point of all this?  God, who is in charge of all our days, and minutes, and the very breaths that we take, is not a God limited to what WE see or what WE think.  He is always, always at work in greater, wider, deeper, and far more lasting ways than we will ever know.  I am SO eternally grateful that He spoke to me that morning, and that I listened, and that now He is going to use two very ordinary, struggling, in love with Him people to touch the lives of others through a brand new ministry opportunity!  Doesn’t it make you wonder what ELSE He’s up to?  Let this encourage you then…and make sure you don’t miss the next time He prompts you to have “a moment” for Him!