Amazing

On Monday I had to pick up Chase from the Y. Bubs had an eye appointment that morning and since her mom couldn't drop her off, I offered to pick her up. As I was leaving the Y I noticed a pair of gloves in the passenger seat. I had forgotten to take them into the event I worked on Saturday night.

It was a dinner and gift Christmas party for a homeless shelter. It's a transitional housing for adults and I will tell you all about it in another blog. One of the things I did was collect items for the 70 residents there; things like gloves, socks, hats, shampoo, shavers, etc...

I had obviously forgotten to take the gloves in on Saturday. As I got into the car I heard a distinct voice..."somebody needs these gloves." And when I hear something like that, something so out of the blue and wonderful I try to pause and listen because I know it's coming from a good place.

And since I was in a poor area of town I decided to drive around and see if anyone needed the gloves because I had no idea what to do with them and I have to tell you, I felt kind of dumb doing it. I was just driving around aimlessly so I prayed for a little help.

Not long after, I noticed an old man shoveling snow from a sidewalk in front of an old, run down house. He was unkempt and wearing old, dirty clothes and was shoveling without gloves so I thought to myself, this MUST be the person who needs them.

I pulled over, rolled down the window and offered him the gloves. He smiled a huge, warm and wonderful smile and said exactly this, "I don't need those, you need to give them to a young man." I asked him if he was sure and he just smiled again and sent me on my way.

I felt completely defeated, deflated, REJECTED! Because you see, this is one my biggest fears: giving to someone who then rejects you. It's hard to give sometimes not because you don't want to share but because it's often awkward.

I decided to go home, thinking I would give them to Hal but as I went home I remembered that the foodbank was open on Mondays and I thought I could just drop them in there. Surely someone would need them.

I immediately noticed a young man, 18 or 19 years old, desperately looking for work. He said he was shoveling driveways and was hoping they could put his name out. I looked to see what he needed and guess what it was? Gloves.

I had no idea who to give them to but they still made it to the right place. I know I saw God on Monday. And he was shoveling a sidewalk in Connecticut.