PROJECT 365...angels unawares?

Week 16.

COME ON OVER TO SARA’s 

On 4/17,

I finished my 5-hour sweater (and it took me longer than five hours, hahaha)

4/22
God provided a 'bee one' opportunity today after church...and I'd like to present this award to my hubs (who took the opportunity 'to bee one').  

Let me explain further:  While walking out to our suv after church, hubs was on the other side of the vehicle from me and I couldn't see that he had stopped to talk with someone.  A man had asked for money for food.  Hubs told him 'lunch with friends' was just where we were headed...and invited him to go with us (at the 'all you can eat' down the street). 

Still unbeknownst to me, the man, his backpack and full shopping bag piled into the backseat.  When I opened my door to get into the truck, my attention was caught by there being another person in the car. 

So, what does one do when a stranger is sitting in their car unannounced?

Kindergarten manners kick in...
I reached into the backseat with a handshake and introduced myself. 
(In my head, I'm thinking I might need to keep his hands busy because he might have a gun in that bag) :/

He said, "Hi, my name eez Patrick" in a muddled latino accent.  His hands and skin were very worn, caked with old dirt, yet gentle.  He repeated 'think you' several times before we left the parking lot.  (I should be 'ashamed' was running through my head)

At the restaurant, he shyly took a plate from the buffet line ... returned to the table and ate two plates of food.  He shared he's originally from Houston, TX but has fallen on hard times...having recently lost his home...and having been robbed of his wallet and credentials and no money to get them replaced.  We mentioned a few things he could do locally to help get 'back in order' and he talked about a couple of 'labor' jobs he had recently worked as well as a local garage that had let him live in their back room so he didn't have to sleep on the street some nights.

He didn't eat any dessert, just meatloaf and spaghetti...and green beans.  After saying goodbye to our other friend who had met us there, we drove Patrick back to the side of town not too far from where he said he needed to be.   As he thanked us again and while closing the back door, I heard him also say, "Thank you, Jesus..."

God is wonderfully creative in offering opportunities...Patrick came into our lives quickly and was gone before we turned out of the garage parking lot.

Look for your 'opportunities' this week, okay?

IT'S NOT IN A BAG!

So, there I was...pushing and pulling two carts out of, let's call it, WallyW...up to my eyeballs in canned soft drinks and water. (I had asked for a flatbed, or what they at WallyW call and "L" cart, and they were all "in use", of course.)

Maneuvering slowly, trying not to run over the 2 million unsupervised children that were running in front of me. Pushing with my feet on the bottom rung to help push it in to right direction rather than the direction the wheels wanted to go in. Oops, my purse fell over and out came all my pens, lipstick, breath mints went tumbling out onto the tile floor, rolling in several directions....QUICK, must stop...whoa! Too much inertia...easier said than done.

After picking up my many little things from the floor and securing everything down in between the drink cartons, I steady myself and lunge forward to re-establish my momentum. Good, now we're moving (and there's no one in my way, I believe I can make it through the sliding doors!!)

"Ma'am, I'll need to see your receipt"...oh, you've got to be kidding...it's in my wallet, in my purse, under the drinks..."Ma'am, I'm sorry, it's policy, I have to check all receipts for anything NOT IN A BAG.

I wanted to raise my voice...yet I heard in my head from this morning's Bible Study..."this is one of those battles I was talking about...be nice, keep your tongue still. So, I grabbed the carts tighter and pulled to a stop...dug down through the drinks and pulled out the receipt and handed it to the bearded man in the blue vest. I know...it's his job.

So, for today's therapy, I thought I'd blog about my disgruntling moment, share it with my peeps, and see how many other stories could be out there about WallyW moments...Got any?

Oh, next time you're there...be sure to have your receipt ready, if ITS NOT IN A BAG!