When God Puts a Priest in Your Path…
The blasted alarm blares….Didn’t we just go to sleep???
Still dark, nobody moves….
A not-so-darling diatribe ensues:
“Gotta get up.
Gotta make some eggs.
Gotta iron some shirts.
Gotta get to the doc by 8:45.”
Beat-the-clock: Round 4,222…
FYI: Proverbs 31 Woman I am not…
Y’all heard me whinin’ recently over our middle son, Gordy, requiring surgery to repair his ACL. (See end of post from When You’re Stunned about your Valentine’s Day Gift…) Surgery successful, therapy begun, Gordy merely had to return ten days post-op to Louisville to get his stitches out.
However, getting ready in the morning, with Gordy still on two crutches, requires extra time and extra, extra, e-x-t-r-a patience. He’s a good sport. I’m the Nervous Nellie Mother. (It was our oldest son, John Jr., who pointed out that only one letter makes a world of difference: i.e. Mother and Smother….) Alrighty then.
John and I got Gordy all packed up, car loaded, and off he went for his doctor’s appointment. Still clad in pj’s, I dashed upstairs to get ready, now realizing I’d be a just a tad tardy meeting him there.
Never mind he got right in and wound up having to wait on me because I had his clothes for work. Stress!!!
More stress: Gordy couldn’t change clothes there as they were cleaning the bathroom and the floor was wet. Wet floors and crutches don’t mix.
We caravanned over to Thornton’s to fill up his car. By this time, we were both completely frazzled.
First bright spot: We spied a Starbucks next door. We opted to “sit a spell” to detox and restart our morning in a calmer manner.
Second bright spot: As we walked in, we noticed a long wooden table, occupied by only one man. This man looked up the minute we walked in. It was as if he was waiting for us.
I burst out laughing at God’s goodness. Don’t you know the one man, sitting at that long table, was none other than our long-time friend, Father Nick Rice?
When I introduced Gordy, he immediately recognized his name as John and I talk of Father Nick often, always with fondness. Gordy and I both realized Nick was precisely the sole soul we needed.
Gordy later said, “How good is the Lord, Mom, to put us with Father Nick?” That made me think of I John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”
Father Nick could tell Gordy was still becoming acquainted with his crutches…or from a “fresh” injury. They chatted while I got us some much-needed caffeine and a lovely, mega blueberry streusel muffin.
Do the math: Stellar Starbucks, plus killer comfort food, plus a priest, equals some Huge Slice of Heaven.
Gordy and I all but threw up all over Father Nick….not physically (now there’s a visual!!!) , but we suddenly found ourselves majorly dumping our days’ woes, hardly coming up for air to breathe…God bless Nick, he was probably questioning his calling at this point.
One of Nick’s many gifts is he’s quickly able to put things into perspective. Talking us off the ledge, Father Nick showed us God’s love, he effortlessly doled out God’s wisdom, and he equipped us with stamina and strength to restart our day.
All too quickly, it was time for Gordy to drive back to Lexington. How grateful we are God put a priest in our path.
In John 1:14 and 16, the Amplified Bible tells us, …”We (actually) saw His glory…For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”
In her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, Ann Voskamp says, “That’s the mystery map to the deep seeing! We saw His glory…because…we have all received one grace after another. We have all received one grace after another, but we only recognize the glory of God in this moment when we wake to the one grace after another.“
John Piper says, “If you want to be really alert to seeing Jesus’ divine beauty, his glory…then make sure you tune your senses to see his grace.”
Thankfully, Gordy and I recognized and are forever grateful for this divine appointment.
Friends, be alert, for our God is in the details.
‘Til next time!
(This week’s post, oh bet you can guess, is dedicated to Father Nick Rice. Precious Priest, Dear Friend, and Golfer Extraordinaire. Thanks for the divine therapy, Father Nick. Hope to see you again soon!!!)
Fun photo taken in Phoenix, Arizona, from left to right are: Dear friends Mark and Michelle Wheeler, Father Nick, and Yours Truly with my handsome hubster, John.