For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
(Psalm 30:5 - NIV)
Admittedly, I'm a "glass half empty"sort. Most of the time, I not only think it's half empty, but also poisoned. Having nicknames such as "Little Mary Sunshine," I go through life expecting the worst, especially from people. Occasionally, I'm surprised by act of compassion and kindness, but most of the time I feel that at least I'm not disappointed by what I see and hear.
Monday, August 31, was a day I had been dreading for months. Intellectually, I knew my older daughter, Joanna, had committed to spending a year working in Australia. Monday morning, while getting ready for the drive to the airport, it became real to me on an emotional level.
Someone suggested that we get sandwiches from the shop around the corner. Having made that turn for over 30 years, at least once a day, I should know how to drive to that strip mall on Olden Avenue. In a distraught state, I turned and realized I had cut off an SUV. The sinking feeling that it might be a police SUV occurred to me, and I kept checking the rear view mirror. A few yards further, I turned into the strip mall, and was relieved to see that the other vehicle hadn't followed. Of course not, as I had entered through the exit. After I pulled into a parking space, I breathed a sigh of relief, until the SUV pulled up directly behind me, and the flashing lights strobed brightly.
Dejectedly, I retrieved my documents. The officer pointed out the driving errors I had made, and, idiotically, I started sobbing, and told him that I had just run out for sandwiches for the last meal I would have with my daughter for a year. Expecting at least a citation, if not being hauled off and put in a straight jacket, this turned out to be one of those occasional times when I'm surprised.
The officer suggested that maybe it would be a good idea if someone else drove to the airport, and I agreed. He said that there was no way I could make something like that up, returned my documents, and wished my daughter a safe trip. I joked about his apprehension of "public enemy number one," we both laughed, and he drove away.
Still crying, I bought the sandwiches, while the employees of the shop looked at me askance. The food was delicious, my daughter's friends helped drive to Newark, and we all gave her a sendoff that even had the security guards smiling.
Waiting on pins and needles for over 30 hours to hear from Joanna had me totally on edge. She arrived tired, but safely, in Melbourne, and will spend the weekend scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef.
I’m thankful for the good people there are in the world, and even more thankful when I meet them at just the time I need to.
Contributed by Carol
Monday September 7 2015
Liturgical Year B: Week 41
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper18
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost