2011 has gotten off to a bumpy start. I'm still debating whether or not to post just how "bumpy" in such a public forum. Maybe when it's not quite so close. Instead, I want to share two experiences that have helped me through the rough patch.
Our family started off 2011 with a whopping 16 hour drive back from a lovely visit to Mississippi. The kids were real troopers on the drive. But let's be honest, 16 hours is enough to drive anyone a bit crazy. The first night after 9 hours of driving we stopped at a Pizza Hut for dinner in a little town south of Bristol. I'm sure I looked exhausted, but I remember being really happy to be done driving for the night. My husband and I took turns helping the kids color their placemats and juggling Baby C while we waited for the food to arrive.
When we went to pay for dinner, the cashier told us that someone had already paid for us. We stood there for a moment, totally shocked. I think I kept saying "Thank you" to the cashier, because I wanted to thank someone. I was so touched by this anonymous gesture.
The second event happened just yesterday. I had posted on facebook that the twins had combined their meager money in hopes of purchasing a Harry Potter Lego set. They had only about $10 between the two of them. The set they wanted was $100. With Christmas and our Mississippi trip, we have no extra money for toys. So I posted that it was going to be a LONG wait until they saved enough.
Then yesterday in church the twins were handed a envelope. Inside was the money for the Lego set and a note from the giver. It was such a surprise! I was overwhelmed to the point of tears at the generosity, the love, and the kindness...that someone who I hadn't seen for a while cared about me and my family.
Angels. Are they real? Absolutely. I believe there are heavenly angels, unseen, who help us all the time. But there are other angels. I love this quote by Jeffery R. Holland from a talk he gave at the 2008 General Conference (you can read the entire talk here). "But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."
I am surrounded by angels. And I feel so blessed.
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That is beautiful Holly, and I love the quote from the conference talk. I bet the person who paid for your meal got more of a kick out of it than you did!
ReplyDeleteHolly that is just lovely. You never know the gestures that will completely make someones day and be a life lesson.
ReplyDeleteThe other day my oldest son and I (BTW that squalling baby from D.C. will be a teen in 7 months) and he asked if we could buy a pizza from the food court and take it to the hospital right next to Costco. I started to say no because I wasnted my $10 but something told me to say yes. We ended up running so late for an appointment that he didn't have time to get his treat but was greatly rewarded by the obviously worn out, underpaid duo at the front desk who were literally stunned when we handed them a pizza and said "This is for you". After they believed us and thanked us over and over we simply left. He now wants to do this every month on a different floor.
Simply acts can really start the ripples in a pond. Thanks you for sharing Holly.