January 9: Taking Opportunities

Sunday was a very snowy day in the Denver Metro area but I could not let that stop me from getting to the other side of town. I had the whole day planned out: church, help make sandwiches for the baby shower, baby shower, then coffee with a dear young friend.

I prayed a prayer of protection and safety as I got in my car. Luckily, I made it to church without a problem. I was looking forward to seeing everyone at church. I also wanted to share some good news with friends and give flowers to a friend whose birthday was the day before. After church, I faced the snowy streets again as I made my way to the grocery store to buy the bread for sandwiches. Then, I headed over to a friend's house to make the sandwiches. I knew that this was a big help to her and I was glad that I was able to. We enjoyed a nice chat as we worked in the kitchen. Then, off to the baby shower! The snow was really coming down at this point. I was sure glad when I walked in the warm house and out of the snow. The shower was delightful as all the ladies "ooed" and "awed" over all the baby stuff. I was happy to present the expectant mothers with the scrapbooks I had made them. Some sandwiches and deli meat were left over, so I offered to deliver them to the homeless downtown. I also took the bag of tissue paper home so I could fold and keep the paper that was good enough to be reused and recycle the rest. These two opportunities presented themselves and I decided to take them as "the daily tasks."

As I left the shower, I was pleasantly surprised to find Garrett (the pastor's son who gave the sermon the week before) and one of his friends cleaning the snow off all the cars! This act was the icing on the cake for me. I thought they were so sweet and thoughtful to drive over to the shower and take time out of their Sunday afternoon to clean the snow off the cars. Seriously, let this sink in a minute. These are teenage boys I am talking about here! 

I went straight from the baby shower to a coffee shop to meet one of the youth group girls. We enjoyed a nice conversation for a couple of hours before I braved the snow again for the long drive home. 

As I drove home in the bitter cold, I couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The day was so full of blessings and I enjoyed having the time to reflect and give thanks for them: church, fellowship, good friends, birthdays, babies, thoughtful boys, hot coffee and, yes... even the snow.