“Give thanks to the Lord for He is great; His love endures
forever." ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34
The ride from Boston to NYC was
anything but predictable … or relaxing. Worst
of all, Penny (her vintage Honda Civic) finally died; the bus was her least
expensive option. It made 8 stops
inching through a myriad of road construction sites and an accident that snarled
traffic for miles.
Sadie passed the time by commiserating with a stranger. Actually, she killed time by complaining. An older gentleman in a well-worn porkpie hat
whose blue eyes were famed by thick white eyebrows, rarely spoke. If Sadie had only taken the time to notice,
the map of wrinkles on his face told quite a story.
His eye lines told of warm smiles and affection. His forehead told of worries past and present.
But mostly they were so deeply deep-seated
they told of a man who had travelled through eight decades to that moment;
beaten and forlorn. But Sadie was too
crabby to notice.
When her pontificating had finally run its course, she
turned to the old man and asked, "Where’re you headed?"
"Long story," he replied, then told her the short
version. It involved losing half of his
four children in a house fire, many years of painful plastic and reconstructive
surgeries for the remaining two, and the recent terminal cancer diagnosis for
his wife of nearly sixty years.
He concluded by saying, "I'd like to be able to look in
the rear-view mirror on all that, but since I can't, I count my
blessings." He smiled a genuine
smile.
Sadie nodded, said something like, "That's a lot to
deal with!" and told him of her own family's difficulties.
His eyes softened. "You can only play the hand you're
dealt," he said, kindly, "And it sounds like you're doing the best
you can. God bless you."
By the time Sadie finally arrived home she never wanted to
sit down again. For all the backache,
she was mindful of the fact that the worst she'd had to deal with was
inconvenience.
For the first time in her life, she understood the meaning
of the timeworn cliché, “Thank God.”
She'd had three extra hours robbed from her day. But bus’s tire hadn't blown, they hadn't been
in the 5-car pile-up, and she’d met a wonderful man whose faith inspired her. She had more to be thankful for … than to
grumble about. Stretching her cranky
muscles, she offered up a heartfelt prayer of thanks.
Then she hugged each member of her family and sat down and
enjoyed a cup of tea. When slumber
finally beckoned, she closed her eyes, thanked her Lord again (below), grateful
for the inconvenience of her day.
“Thank You God, for giving me another chance to
become a better person, another chance to experience love. Thank You for giving me health, for the food
You provide, for the awareness You’ve awoken in me. Make me a channel of Your energy and help me
understand more, listen better, and love without prejudice. Amen”
