Watching God In Action
Last night I sat in awe watching God in action.
After work, school, and working out at the local YMCA, my family and I decided to go to a little town known for their Amish restaurant.
I noticed the lady’s hair right away when I walked through the doors of that old restaurant. Her hair had several pretty shades of blonde, ash, and brown mixed into a very becoming style. When she got ready to fix our plates, I commented immediately on how pretty her hair was. She thanked me and added that she just did her own hair the night before. This lead to a brief conversation about how she was a cosmetologist and had just moved from Indiana. She started talking about how she had to take her State Boards again. The thought of this had made her physically ill especially since she was older and hadn’t done any of those things in years. Apparently, this was required to transfer her license to the state of South Carolina. Her anxiety was extremely obvious, so I mentioned that my daughter had just graduated from Cosmetology school and passed her State Boards with flying colors.
The lady’s face lit up with excitement!
She forgot all about the white plate she was holding in her hand waiting to be filled with our supper. At this point, though, I didn’t mind at all because I was witnessing God in action! You see, my daughter originally groaned when I asked her to go to this restaurant last night. She was tired after working out and really wanted something a little closer to home. However, I finally convinced her to go with us.
After they talked briefly, she asked my daughter to please see her before we left so she could get additional information. She didn’t want to hold us up from enjoying our supper any more than she already had. So, after we finished eating our delicious meal, my daughter went back over to talk to the lady. My daughter was very thorough and provided the contact information for her instructor at the college just in case she had any additional questions my daughter couldn’t address. The lady thanked her and even hugged her like they were old friends! She had this look of relief on her face and looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders!
My daughter exited the restaurant with her face literally beaming! She was able to calm this lady’s nerves and help her not feel so anxious over the State Boards! My daughter provided the reassurance this lady needed!
Once seated in the vehicle, my daughter said, “Mama, I believe God placed me here tonight just for this reason. I was able to help this lady, so I was meant to come here tonight! It was part of God’s plan.”
Yes, Lord! Yes!!
You Don’t Get To Decide
A misunderstanding occurred over the weekend via text, of all things. Two friends were talking back and forth when one took something the wrong way. You’re at a true disadvantage when you can’t hear the person’s tone of voice or see their facial expressions. It makes it much harder to communicate effectively at times.
Something light-hearted and teasing was sent, but it was not received as such. The person took offense, spouted off, and in that instance, feelings were hurt. A sting was felt inside one’s heart. Tears began to sting their eyes, but they blinked them back so as not to allow it to get the best of them.
When they finally were able to express themselves, they admitted they were a little bit hurt. The response almost written back immediately was, “I did nothing to hurt you …”
And they froze.
Here’s the thing. You don’t get to decide whether you did something or not to hurt someone’s feelings. If THEY felt hurt by something you said or did, that is their perception. Like it or not, their perception becomes their reality!
And silence fell between them.
I learned a long time ago that feelings aren’t right or wrong, they just ARE.
I’ve been told I’m a highly sensitive person, as if that was a flaw in my personality. It’s a good thing I don’t view it that way, though. I’m anything but flawed! Just because I might feel deeper than most or might be struck by something that wouldn’t bother another person, that does not make me weak or flawed in any stretch of the imagination.
I am me, and I will not apologize for that. You shouldn’t either!
Feeling as deep as I do at times allows for me to show compassion to others. Compassion is something that is lacking in this world today, so I’m proud of my feelings and ability to make sure people know that they matter in this world.
That you do get to decide. You choose how you want to be with the world. You have a say in how you want to interact with people. But you do not get to decide whether someone is offended or hurt by something you said or did. It doesn’t work that way … at … all.
You might be trying to get the responsibility off of your shoulders so you won’t feel bad. That’s great – but I’m woman enough to own my feelings and emotions. I recognize them, allow them to be for the moment, but I will not be controlled by them. I am able to be rational about things and push my feelings aside to work. But deny my feelings so that someone else feels better? I will not! And neither should you!
Transformation
My father worked for the same company for 41 years. When he retired in 2012, we worried that he would feel as if he lost his identity. The company had become a part of who he was for all of those years. And then, he retired.
Prior to his retirement, however, my husband and I sought to make one of his dreams come true. You see, tucked away in one of his sheds for 30 years was a 1957 Chevy Bel-air two door hard top. It didn’t seem to have much life in it when looking at the rust that started showing through along with the chipped black paint, but we knew it had great potential. My dad struggled with whether to sell it several times through the years, but each time he held on to the dream of “one day” fixing it up. As the years rolled by, he resolved himself to just look out at what once was and what might not ever be again as he didn’t feel he had the money necessary to restore it. That’s where my husband and I came in. We set out on a mission to bring this classic back to life.
My dad was extremely humbled by our offer, and we could tell it touched a place deep within his soul at the mere thought that his dream was about to become a reality. I’ll never forget the day we watched as the rollback scooped my dad’s car up and started down the driveway. We were excited of what was to be!
Fast forward two years, and this once black, often used as a drag car on dirt roads around our house, “rust bucket” was transformed into a candy apple red beauty with sparkling chrome! My dad’s face lit up like a kid in a candy store when he first saw his “old hunk of junk,” as my mom used to call it. He was so nervous to get behind the wheel because he didn’t want anything to happen to his baby! I was there snapping pictures and proud to be a part of that day! When he drove away, he goosed it and snatched second gear so the tires would squeal, just like a little boy playing with his new toy! I laughed and carried that giddy schoolgirl feeling with me all day!
Shortly thereafter, my dad and I learned of a classic car club in town. We were invited to a few meetings, and then our family joined the club. He’s entered several car shows and received trophies and plaques! After several years of being active in the club, my dad was voted in as the president of the Edisto Cruisers! Now not only did his dream become a reality, but it far exceeded his expectations! He’s living his dream and then some!
AND … he drove this beauty on his last day of work when he retired! It was also at his retirement party that we threw for him, as well.
My dad has really come out of his shell since joining and putting himself out there with this car club. When once he would shy away from others and sit in a corner to himself, (and we’d join him so he wouldn’t be alone), he has since become more outgoing. In his current role as President, it has forced him out of his comfort zone, which is not always a bad thing at all. While he’s not really a people person, he is more social than he has ever been before. Public speaking might not be his heart’s desire, but he does a good job of leading the monthly meetings. It seems my dad has had a transformation in all of this, too!
As my dad has gotten older, and after losing several loved ones, he’s become more spiritual as well. I’ve purposely chosen not to say “religious,” as what he has is deeper than that. He reads his bible and prays genuine heartfelt prayers to our Heavenly Father. He prays with passion and conviction, whether on his knees beside his bed at night or before the meal at the monthly car club meetings. I’m proud of him finding his voice and not being bashful with his prayers, especially. He’s often called on to pray at our house before the meals as well. I love that man! And yes, I’ve always been a daddy’s girl. I love my mama, don’t get me wrong. But there’s just a special connection between my father and I.
When once we worried about my dad upon his retirement, we’ve seen him flourish in his new role. We are so proud of him and thankful that he has a passion for classic cars, but most of all, he’s enjoying sporting around in ‘Ole Red after all these years.
