Funny how priorities can shift so quickly.
At 8:00 this morning, I finally came across some chairs on Craigs List I'd been searching for and immediately went to work on trying to figure out how we could pick them up from Seneca.
Soon afterward, I was getting dressed for the gym and would soon be on my way to meet Mr. Elliptical. The sun was shining, the music was playing in my car.
Then it all changed. The phone rang. It was the radiologist saying they had spotted something suspicious on a mammogram I'd gone for on Monday morning. At that moment, the chairs and Mr. Elliptical took an immediate back-seat.
Rewind: Last night, I led a women's study at our church on God's "ordinary" moments of grace ("Pursuing Spiritual Transformation - Grace... An Invitation to a Way of Life" by John Ortberg).
In it, he speaks of how believers seem to be able to grasp the idea of grace for our salvation but come up lacking when we think of it for our daily life. The first chapter pointed out the necessity for us to slow down and truly notice - become absorbed in - the graces of God that surround us at every moment. For the spiritual exercise he challenged the readers in this way:
"Today I will have eyes that see God's gracious daily provisions, even in the ordinary - a warm bed, a closet full of clothes, a comfortable pair of shoes, a hot shower, the ability to see, hear, walk, think, feel. I will look for God's grace around me - in scenes of natural beauty, in the face of a friend, in wholesome pleasures that bring me joy, in my church body gathered in worship."
So, with that in mind, I'd like to share some of the so-called "ordinary" moments of grace I noticed today and jotted down while in the waiting room awaiting my results:
- An answer to my Monday morning prayer -- divine wisdom and discernment for the radiologists who would be reading the snapshots -- to see whatever needed to be seen.
- God's timing. I was less than a minute away from walking in the gym (no phone access). Because I spoke with the radiologist prior to my going in, I was able to get in for my appointment today. The nurses were amazed when I shared that I had only spoken with the radiologist just a few hours prior. Somehow I don't believe my heavenly Father was so surprised:)
- Advil. Enough said.
- A Brown Sugar Blueberry bagel from Greenfield's Bagel Shop. I had thawed one out last night for today's lunch. It hit the spot before heading out for the follow-up tests/ultrasound.
- On the way over, I heard the song "You Will Be Safe in His Arms" by Phil Wickham... twice.
- The GHS employee who registered me had a coffee cup on her desk with the Philippians 4:13 verse.
- "Andy Griffith" playing in the waiting room.
- A smiling face on the woman conducting the ultrasound in the foreground and calm classical music playing in the background.
- A clean report! The suspicious place turned out not to be so suspicious after all. :)
- Remember the chairs from earlier this morning? My amazing husband took a half-day of vacation to drive to Seneca to pick them up for me. We arrived home at the same time. They are awesome -- and Misty, the owner of the chairs, was just as awesome!
- And last, and OK, probably least, a small Mocha Frappe from McD's on the way home to celebrate the good report (Hey! If John can have his comfortable shoes I can have my frappe! :)
"Train yourself to notice, to pay attention, to become absorbed in the grace of your Shepherd."
Thank You, Jesus, for this day of training. It was anything but ordinary.
