I believe it's human nature to anticipate big moments to find us throughout our lives. Moments that leave us awestruck in our endeavors to find purpose and meaning.
After all, as we reflect on God's Word, we often think of the more significant moments or stories such as Daniel and the lion's den, David and Goliath, etc. We rarely reflect on the influence of ordinary everyday people living normal daily lives.
However, I am learning that answers to questions sometimes appear in small little moments when we are not expecting anything extraordinary to happen.
I had such a moment this week.
My husband and I spent four days driving in the Lower 48.
We stopped at a rest area in South Carolina early one brisk Sunday morning. I walked into the women's bathroom. The only other person in the bathroom was an employee, an older lady dressed in layers, wearing a hat with warm ear flaps around her face.
Our eyes met as I greeted her and thanked her for working on such a cold morning. What happened next has never happened to me before (and will more than likely never happen again).
Her face lit up with pure delight when she looked at me. Without hesitation, she joyfully spoke, "Good morning! You are so beautiful. What a thrill to get to be here to meet someone like you!"
I knew there was no one standing behind me, so she must be talking to me. She did not break her intent gaze, nor did she appear to feel awkward or to consider the fact that I might reject her unmerited kindness.
I slipped into the stall as she continued to talk to me as one would speak to someone with whom they felt comfortable.
"You are so amazing," she continued as though she didn't realize that I was no longer standing in front of her, "When you get out of there I'm going to give you a big hug!"
I froze in puzzlement. How would I get out of the stall and escape the embrace of a stranger? I was baffled.
I couldn't comprehend her unmerited love and affection toward me.
Sure enough, I eventually emerged from my cubicle of safety, and there she was waiting for me— arms open wide.
After all, as we reflect on God's Word, we often think of the more significant moments or stories such as Daniel and the lion's den, David and Goliath, etc. We rarely reflect on the influence of ordinary everyday people living normal daily lives.
However, I am learning that answers to questions sometimes appear in small little moments when we are not expecting anything extraordinary to happen.
I had such a moment this week.
My husband and I spent four days driving in the Lower 48.
We stopped at a rest area in South Carolina early one brisk Sunday morning. I walked into the women's bathroom. The only other person in the bathroom was an employee, an older lady dressed in layers, wearing a hat with warm ear flaps around her face.
Our eyes met as I greeted her and thanked her for working on such a cold morning. What happened next has never happened to me before (and will more than likely never happen again).
Her face lit up with pure delight when she looked at me. Without hesitation, she joyfully spoke, "Good morning! You are so beautiful. What a thrill to get to be here to meet someone like you!"
I knew there was no one standing behind me, so she must be talking to me. She did not break her intent gaze, nor did she appear to feel awkward or to consider the fact that I might reject her unmerited kindness.
I slipped into the stall as she continued to talk to me as one would speak to someone with whom they felt comfortable.
"You are so amazing," she continued as though she didn't realize that I was no longer standing in front of her, "When you get out of there I'm going to give you a big hug!"
I froze in puzzlement. How would I get out of the stall and escape the embrace of a stranger? I was baffled.
I couldn't comprehend her unmerited love and affection toward me.
Sure enough, I eventually emerged from my cubicle of safety, and there she was waiting for me— arms open wide.
I thought she might wait for me to wash my hands, but there was no concern on her face for whether or not my hands
were clean. And hug me she did. I hugged her back.
But it didn't end there.
The sweet little lady followed me out of the bathroom walking out the door to outside where my husband stood waiting.
Noticing my husband, another smile lit up her face, "You are the luckiest man in the world to have such a beautiful, amazing wife!" she oozed with such love and affection directed toward me. She was 100% comfortable in her skin; vulnerable in such a way that I stared at her in amazement, still baffled.
No matter where we live, where we travel, or what we are doing—the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift from our Father, is within us, permeating our being. We are God's sons and daughters. Even though we do not deserve such unmerited, unconditional love, He stands with arms open wide longing to embrace each one of His children.
But it didn't end there.
The sweet little lady followed me out of the bathroom walking out the door to outside where my husband stood waiting.
Noticing my husband, another smile lit up her face, "You are the luckiest man in the world to have such a beautiful, amazing wife!" she oozed with such love and affection directed toward me. She was 100% comfortable in her skin; vulnerable in such a way that I stared at her in amazement, still baffled.
No matter where we live, where we travel, or what we are doing—the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift from our Father, is within us, permeating our being. We are God's sons and daughters. Even though we do not deserve such unmerited, unconditional love, He stands with arms open wide longing to embrace each one of His children.
Baffling.
Was my cleaning lady an Angel from God? I don't know. Was she able to see something that most people do not take the time to notice? Again, I do not know. But this one thing I do know: I have never experienced the love of God so deeply, so intimately, or so purely as I did at my rest stop encounter.
In what appeared to be a trivial moment of stopping at a rest area somewhere on North Interstate 77, God displayed His love for me in the eyes, words, and embrace of a complete stranger.
And quite honestly, all of the questions I had been searching for answers to before this encounter suddenly didn't matter very much.
God's unmerited, unexplainable, unconditional love trumps all earthly concerns.
Stay the Course...
sheila
Was my cleaning lady an Angel from God? I don't know. Was she able to see something that most people do not take the time to notice? Again, I do not know. But this one thing I do know: I have never experienced the love of God so deeply, so intimately, or so purely as I did at my rest stop encounter.
In what appeared to be a trivial moment of stopping at a rest area somewhere on North Interstate 77, God displayed His love for me in the eyes, words, and embrace of a complete stranger.
And quite honestly, all of the questions I had been searching for answers to before this encounter suddenly didn't matter very much.
God's unmerited, unexplainable, unconditional love trumps all earthly concerns.
Stay the Course...
sheila
