It is just amazing to see the Lord work small miracles in my life every day. When you take a moment to look for these miracles, you will see that they are happening around you all the time.
It is the Holiday Season, and with the Holiday Season comes stress, busier schedules, more work, less rest and more nonsense trips to and fro. Today, I was scheduled to work in Grass Valley all day as I am almost every Saturday. I was also scheduled to drive to Sacramento Airport late tonight. I was going to pick up my boy David around midnight as he is coming home for Christmas before he stationed over seas. I haven’t seen him since his graduation ceremony in South Carolina. I was looking forward to watching my first born, my only son, my soldier come down off that airport escalator and rushing to give him big hugs and kisses. My soldier, home for Christmas.
While sitting at work, I receive a phone call at high noon, it’s my young man, my soldier on the other end with an excitement in his voice, “Hi Mom! Well, we landed and we’re on the tarmac, we will be getting to the dock shortly.”
I reply with a chipper lilt in my voice, “Oh son, that’s great! Was it a good flight?”
“Sure, it was ok” he says.
“So, what town are you in? Where is your layover?” I ask.
“You didn’t listen to your voicemails yet today have you?” he says tauntingly. “I called you this morning but you didn’t answer.”
Sheepishly I reply… “Yes, son, I know… I was in the shower when I missed your call and then headed to work, I’ve been to busy to check them. Why? What’s up? What town are you in?”
“Mom! I caught an earlier flight and I’m in Sacramento!” He says with a punch that makes me whirl my body around and start pacing. It hits me that my soldier just arrived to an airport with no family, no friends, no body waiting to celebrate his arrival, no one to smother him with hugs and kisses, no one to ask him repeated questions that make his head spin with appreciation that he is home with loved ones. What was I to do? I couldn’t even pull off a big greeting for my soldier, I think to myself as to shame my motherhood.
Well, you can imagine my distraught reaction as at the time, I am sitting in Grass Valley at work, with no ability to leave until six pm tonight! I say, “Oh what?! Oh my god! Son! I’m at work! I can’t come get you right now! Oh boy, What am I going to do?”
He hushes me as to silence my worry and says to me – “Mom, don’t worry… There is a lady sitting next to me on the plane who is also in the service. She is traveling with her 2 year old… but she is heading to Auburn and said she could give me a ride up! Is that ok?”
Of course, at first I’m thinking to myself…. Who in the world would offer a ride from Sac Airport for FREE? She’s gotta be a nut right? I mean, Stranger Danger! What?
So, I ask to speak with this mystery woman, he hands the phone over and a light cheerful voice comes from the other line… it’s soft, motherly, angelic. Quickly my spirit calms and I almost hear a whisper in my head saying, “It’s ok, I’ve sent an angel, do not fear her”
Feeling as though we have an immediate connection and thinking she is probably right around my own age. the calming voice says, “hello?”
As I quickly gather my thoughts as to what to say to her, I become speechless and awkwardly stammer out, “Hi! Your offering to drive my son home? I don’t know what to say! I wasn’t expecting him till tonight at midnight and I am still at work in Grass Valley and….. ”
She comes back quaintly “Oh yea! It’s really not a problem, I do have my two-year old with me, if he doesn’t mind, but really! It’s not a problem at all.”
My eyes grow as I listen to her speak as though I had heard your voice a thousand times. I profusely thank her for her offer and remind her that he is coming all the way up to Auburn and again questioning her to try and hear a glimmer of doubt as it is quite a drive from the Sacramento Airport. I wanted to provide a way out if she wanted one.
She again replies softly with cool ease, “Really, it’s not a bother. I can’t imagine how your feeling with everything you are going through right now, it’s really ok.”
I ponder the words, as I thank her from the bottom of my heart. “How I am feeling with everything I’m going through right now?” I wonder, how would she know what I have been going through? My son doesn’t even know what I have been going through. What an odd thing to say to someone you’ve only just met.
Fact is, I AM going through a lot right now. My body has been in a decaying place for over three years. Shortly after the divorce it came to my attention I was suffering from Adrenal Shutdown. My body couldn’t continue working through the stress I was putting it through and began to break down. As I have made some effort in the year before to relieve my stress load, it seems it has only tripled. I feel this past year may have been too much for me again. Suffering five inner ear infections, a chronic case of sinusitis and chronic pain and fatigue in the past 12 months, my health has been fading quickly. And so, with the thought of driving to Sacramento at midnight after a full day’s work after being in bed sick for the last 48 hours was a tremendous task to take on. The fact was, I had been feeling completely overwhelmed at the thought of it.
So who are we to make plans for ourselves. Setting a pace that not even we can keep up with. Setting ideals that we strive to maintain and find ourselves failing when all we want to do is achieve. Who are we to say that we have it all figured out.
Honestly, I think I would rather give it up and let God. It seems every time he works something out for me, it is so much more grand than I could have ever imagined for myself. I don’t think like he does, but I like the way he thinks! It is only in our moments of complete and utter failure that we might catch a glimpse of the constant and consistent work he is doing in our lives. Only because this is the only time we search our spirit for hope, for reason, for purpose. It is so very important to witness that these good works are happening everyday, all around us. We just need to stop and take a moment to recognize them. As the world would say, “stop and smell the roses… ”
I heard a voice distinctly say, “Don’t worry, I sent an angel” and peace rushed through me and doubt was thrown from my mind.
I see small Christmas miracles everyday.
PS. After talking with my son, he told me before he left the car upon his arrival in Auburn, the woman handed him $200 in cash and a $50 Gift Card for Target saying the reason was because he was the most wonderful young man she had ever met. She felt that he had a wonderful and sincere heart and that he was a very good person and thanked him for his service. He called me and said I have one thing to say mom, “God sent me an Angel today”
myoriginallyric 