Dec 15th, 2020: Christmas Blessing - Be Aware of God's Presence
I am going to share a few conversations I had with people at different places this week so we can all have some ideas of what people are going through.
A) Talking to a young owner of a new Vietnamese restaurant in our neighborhood. She put all she saved into the business. She is now beyond stressed. She was trying very hard not to cry, and I felt for her. We then talked about ideas of how to increase take-out business. She asked me to pray for her and the restaurant when we said goodbye.
B) An elderly couple was a bit overwhelmed at a grocery store. Someone told them that they walked in the wrong direction. They obviously didn't see the arrows on the floor. Initially, they didn't understand what was going on. I asked them whether they had a shopping list. The lady told me she did. Then I asked them whether I could shop for them. The man whispered to me that it is harder to do anything. They were happy to let me do that when I asked them to hang around the book and the Christmas decorations areas. Being a private shopper was actually fun.
C) We went to bring our cans and bottles to a depot this weekend. It is one of the newer ones in town. We were surprised by the joyful spirit and the kindness of the young man who helped us. He was singing in his mother tongue, so we had no understanding of he was singing about. Whatever it was, it ought to be a happy song because of the big smile on his face. He told us to let him manage the whole bottle and can return and take it easy. It was a delightful end to a rather cold day.
If we pay attention to what is going around us, we will see God's Blessings.
Matthew 6:30-33
"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."