Showers of blessings

8:19 Today's project was to have my devotions as usual, see Steve off on the Special Transportation bus to his adult daycare, and perhaps set up our Muffins and Makeovers party for Saturday morning. Then two appointments would follow, with care giving help for him. The day started off oddly, at 5:20 with me wide awake. I say "oddly", because I'd stayed up reading one of my Amish Inspirational novels until midnight --my bad!

So I prayed and did go back to sleep until 6:00, got the coffee started, and read my daily portion from Spurgeon's Morning &  Evening. Ezekiel 34:6 was the verse quoted:

I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

As any believer would, I rejoiced in that verse in a rather lean week, especially the "saturating showers of grace" that Spurgeon writes of.

  Then it is plenteous grace. "I will send them showers." It does not say, "I will send them drops," but "showers." So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, He usually gives it in such a measure that there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace! Ah! we want plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy; plenteous grace to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven. ...
  Again, it is seasonable grace."I will cause the shower to come down in his season." What is thy season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it the season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers.

I thought, those both could describe my season. Drought, as I  counted out coins for bus fare--they take one dollar bills only, and they don't give change for a five.  Dark clouds could represent the effects of Steve's late-stage Alzheimer's, even though I encourage myself in the Lord through the scriptures, prayer and fellowship all day long. Nevertheless, there's no wishing this disease away.

Showers of blessing would be most welcome!

15 minutes later, I came down dressed nicely for my day, let Jada out, and awaited the 6:30 arrival of the caregiver who would shower, shave and dress Steve for his day at Care Connexxus.  I heard Steve moving around upstairs, and then noticed it was 6:40. On a day when he has to be ready for the bus' 7:45 pick-up, this was not good. I called the agency while heading up to our bedroom. The owner who was on call promised to look into it, but meanwhile, I had rather a difficulty on my hands. The two of us did make it back down, Steve took his meds and ate his banana, I laid hands on him and we joined in prayer for strength for me and ability for him to get ready today. No caregiver showed up, but Steve was fed, spiffed up and ready by 7:45, praise the Lord.

Problem was, I hadn't been able to get into my scriptures yet, nor do any journalling. My prayer partner and I were also delayed in starting. [Satan had done a fair job of trouble making for the morning, that's for sure. He doesn't care to see Christians agreeing in prayer, reading the Bible and writing as worship to God!] But I felt consoled as I remembered Jesus' example of healing the man who came into the temple with a withered hand on the Sabbath, much to the Pharisees' deadly disapproval (Matthew 12:9-15). Human need comes first!

The "best" was yet to come. About 8:15, while Steve and I were on the driveway waiting for the bus, baggie of coins in hand, I called the bus service. Steve wasn't on the roster for today! WHAT? I've been scheduling Wednesdays and Fridays for at least a month, now that he enjoys going. Since no changes could be made, I quickly got next week lined up while on the phone with them. Steve and I did a few outside tasks before he continued in the backyard with Jada and I had my devotions inside. I also got the chance to pray with Cara for each other's day and needs. Despite all the obstacles the devil had thrown at me, I encouraged her with Ezekiel's "showers of blessings" that we should both expect today, and did eventually experience, per our text updates this evening!

As I reflect back on my day that was filled with Christian fellowship--the two caregivers and both customers I interacted with are active, strong believers-- I can't complain! For God proved His word (Deuteronomy 33:25) true once again:

As your days, so shall your strength be.