5:18 p.m. Today's project was to get Heidi's car registration renewed at our local Department of Motor Vehicles, because she had lost the form that came in the mail.
First came our Bible study on Esther at church, where I was feeling very privileged to be able to attend during the daytime. I got there early to deliver one of my coffee cakes to the office staff. I gave a food donation, and loaned two natural food cookbooks for a young mom with an allergic son. We heard a wonderful praise report about last weekend's Mexico women's retreat--25 attendees gave their lives to the Lord!
Just before lunch, Bible study ended, and a bunch of us girls went on over to Chick-Fil-A. As an aside, I tasted their famous chicken for the first time in an airport in Atlanta on our way to visit Richard and Liz, our Alaska cruise friends, in Florida a few years ago. Wow, it's the best! That company, whose Christian founder doesn't do business on Sundays, hadn't yet come to our area of SoCal. Now I visit whenever I get a chance.
Having just finished a post-Bible study lunch with my gal pals I was in a great mood, hoping for the best as to lines, helpfulness of the clerks, decent people to sit near, all the things a lady would want in a waiting room. Off to a good start! I got a parking place right in the front! The office on Sycamore Canyon Drive has a pretty quick system for sorting us out: we got in a rather long line, told our story, and were assigned a number. The clerk told me that the wait was an hour. I drove 5 minutes down Alessandro to my house, even though it was with regret that I gave up my premium parking spot, to see how Steve was doing. We also had to make an appointment to get a tire put on the RV later. Nothing like a full day!
Upon my return to the DMV in less than an hour, cockeyed optimist that I am, I took my seat, and whipped out my Amish romance novel (very faith-filled), thinking, "Oh, I'll be called up right away!" Meanwhile, I surreptitiously glanced around to see if there was anyone I could hand out my cosmetic samples to, or start a conversation with. On my left was a college student and her boyfriend, so I looked to the right, but saw that the lady was from Ontario, a bit of a drive. Behind me was a young woman on her cell phone, using all manner of foul language in a quiet voice (as if that helps). I finished my book!
As my "appointment" time long came and went, I noticed that I had randomly sat down between numbers B195 and B197--I was B196! Odd, but when I thought to open up a conversation with the lady on my right, saying, "we're getting close!" she didn't even tilt her head. Oh well! Not everyone wants to socialize, for whatever reason. I can't imagine such a thing, but that's me!
Finally my chance came, and a very friendly clerk was happy to accept a microdermabrasion sample, but when she told about the pieces of lead crystal working their way up to her skin's surface--the result of a horrible accident when she was waitressing--I also gave her some hand creme. "You might want to wait on the microdermabrasion," I told her. She very quickly got the car registration renewed, and I was on my way.
People are such survivors, aren't they? God really has created the capacity for courage and hope, whether it's surviving cancer, like me, or surviving abandonment by a spouse, accidents, unemployment, or a multitude of other unforeseen crises.
But best of all, is that through Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection, we have all the grace and mercy we can ask for, more than we can even conceive of!
I Corinthians 2:9, a scripture we all would do well to keep in mind in our trials, says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Do you love Him?
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