Pure GIft!

I wrote a post a couple days ago where I have to admit that I was struggling to feel that God cared about me personally.

I knew He did, of course. 

I believed He did.

But there are those days you sort of trudge on without feeling,

even when your little daughter, who seems to know you need a lift,

makes sweet little cards for her mommy and daddy.

I don't remember exactly how I prayed, I just remember that I prayed specifically for God to be real to me, because I was feeling really low.

We couldn't help smiling at Hannah's sweet little notes to each of us, like this one to her daddy who was getting ready to fly to Florida on another Mission Helps trip. 

"Dear Dad I love you. God be with You. I love Hot ir blunse [hot air balloons].

I love Mom, to. 

I love flawrs [flowers] and butrflise.

I loove thakthegiveen [Thanksgiving].

love,

Hannah

And then, all unexpectedly, God did it. 

Jonathan's plane to Florida was overbooked and their offer to anyone who was willing to change their flight ended up being a $500 voucher toward future tickets--

plus a voucher to stay at Hotel Elegante for the night here!

Jonathan decided to go for it, and knew he had made the right decision when the airline attendant

thanked him for being willing to change, 

because, she said, some folk who were going to a funeral were in tears begging to be allowed on the flight.

It had seemed to us that we were merely taking advantage of an offer that would be a blessing down the road, but it turned out to be a blessing to some sorrowing people,

and that was a double blessing. 

And so Jonathan's wife threw some supper fixings together at home and hurried back to town

to spend an unforgettable and relaxing and incredibly happy evening with him

at this Hotel Elegante.

It was a huge place, including a convention center and ballroom.

A gorgeous ebony grand piano took center stage near the front desk,

and flames licked up the fireplace.

Everything was elegant, just like its name, clear to the way the snowy towels were folded!

We walked about admiring all the pretty things and laughing and giggling and wondering how in the world we ever ended up in such a ritzy place.
And thinking how, when we had decided to send Jonathan to Florida again to lift John Dykes' load,

 we hadn't imagined any such wonderful thing happening to us personally on the eve of just trying to help out someone else!

We never did anything particular for our anniversary this year, since we spent it working in Detroit,

and so it sort of seemed like Mission Helps trips kept coming up instead of an anniversary getaway.

And God did care about that. 

And so here we were, cooking a bit of supper for two with an electric skillet I took along,

sauteeing some of our favorite foods--mushrooms and red pepper, with fresh avocado and red pepper and a little leftover venison from lunch, filling up on popcorn I'd brought.

Coffee isn't our favorite beverage at bedtime, but we had to celebrate anyhow, so we drank a little hot decaf with some ice cream dollopped in to cool and sweeten it.

It was so nice to just relax together without a bunch of noisy kids around. 

Jonathan had to get up at 4:30 in the morning to catch a 6:00 flight, but a shuttle took him so I could stay in bed a while longer. 

Outside our glass door to the courtyard the rising sun shone brightly on Pikes Peak.

It was so beautiful!

I took a walk around the courtyard before leaving so I could get home for breakfast and starting the school day.

Thank You, God, for being real to an exhausted mother!

It was pure gift!