Glorifying God in Unusual Circumstances

It has been a marvelous two days in the McCann household. I have gotten to live out both aspects of Man's Chief End..."to glorify God and enjoy Him (for now and) forever." Today's post is just about one way we can glorify God. Randy flew down to Orlando Thursday afternoon to take Matthew to a football game. (I don't know who played.) They spent the night a little above Jacksonville and started the trek north at 9 AM on Friday, which was about the time our previously forecast winter storm was gearing up to make its appearance. I had an Amos Cottage Christmas party scheduled for around 2, and it looked as though it was going to be delayed until Monday. That was fine with me since I couldn't find a fruit tray anywhere in Winston Salem. I figured the whole thing would be cancelled anyway, as the Cottage runs on the public school schedule. Not so...got an email at 9:30 that the party would be at 10:30, so I got dressed faster than I ever have in my life, bought some red and green fruit, (apples and strawberries) and pulled into the parking lot just in time to see the sleet starting to fall. Santa and Mrs. Claus were there with their bag full of gifts, along with the Guild elves who served food, and the staff. It was a gala affair and the children truly enjoyed their gifts and were so appreciative. One little boy piped up prior to opening his gifts, "I don't care what Santa gives me. I'm going to be happy!" And he was. That child's words glorified God, because he was thankful for others' kindnesses.

The sleet turned to snow right on schedule, around 12:30, and it was time to get inside and hunker down and prepare for the boys' arrival. I got a call around 4:30 that they were 5 minutes away. Twenty minutes later, I got another call, but from a neighbor, asking, "What are Randy and Matthew doing walking up Meadowlark?" (The street right outside our neighborhood.) I told her I didn't know and for her to keep going to the church to get her daughter's car before things got worse. You know what I did next--called Randy and asked about what had happened. He said he was on the road one minute and off the next. They slid into the field and could not get the car back on the road, so we ate dinner, went down to see what we could do, to no avail, then came back and called USAA, and waited for them to call back. (If any of you locals passed us, you saw 3 figures looking like the Beverly Hillbillies carrying luggage and backpacks down the hill to our car parked in the Subway parking lot.) En route home we saw another car do the same thing, but closer to the edge of the field.

USAA called after dinner and the guys slowly made their way back in Randy's car to the site. It was still there and no one had hit it. As they awaited the wrecking company, a "renegade" wrecker pulled over to see if he could help. He tried, but to no avail. Finally, the USSA wrecker showed up and they had sweet success. I got the call they were on their way down the hill in Matthew's wide- tired Florida car, with Randy driving it, and Matthew following slowly behind. (He's never driven in snow mind you.) In the meantime, I couldn't just sit there waiting, so I went downstairs, got the snow shovel, and started shoveling the driveway, which brings to mind, how peaceful the night was, as I shoveled the snow, preparing a place for their tires to keep them from sliding into the garage and our brick wall. It was so beautiful, listening to the crunch of the snow and being amazed at how easy it was to lift and throw, lift and throw. I found myself thanking God that He had gotten them all the way to where they would find neighbors who cared, and so close to home. Once they got home, it was a wonderful thing to shut the doors at 7:30 and say, "Thank You, Father, for getting Randy and Matthew home safely. Thank You that we can trust You for all our needs. To You be the glory for the great things You have done." And that's another way to glorify God...to offer up a continuous flow of thankfulness for all you have and are. I hope, as we near Christmas, that you are making an effort to look past the material/commercialism that bombards us, and purposefully bestow peace and goodwill to all you see...because... that's another way to glorify God.