30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 4

For random strangers that God puts in our way, I am grateful.

Today, in an effort to harness my skill at changing lanes during driving (yes, I am working towards a driver’s license, eons of years in the making!), we hit the road and drove as long as we can get one way.  As we were nearing the far north west side of town, Hubby remembered that the R/C flying field was in that general area.  We planned our afternoon outing with a tricopter flying anyway so I steered the car north.  The road turned into a two-lane narrow, twisty-curvy, tree-lined, hilly way.  As I inched my way through this new territory, we saw dozens of grazing acreage with many cows and horses feeding on the land.  There were fewer and fewer homes as we got closer to the field.  The sight was as idyllic as I imagine rural America being, punctuated by the beauty of the Fall colors all around.  As Hubby suspected, the airfield was closed.  But, he knew there was a park just down the road from the field and he could not wait to show it to me.  In his words, “You’ll say, ‘how did you not tell me there is a place like this in town?'”  Must be some park!!

Wouldn’t you know it!  It was as beautiful as Hubby gushed to me about.  Part of the Tennessee River snaked by the park and a little area was designated as the swimming area.  There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot.  About a dozen kids jovially ran about in the play area with some grown-ups.  There looked to be a party going on, what with the food all aligned on a table under the pavilion.  The mood was certainly festive.  I said out loud, “It’s been hours since I last ate…it’d be nice if I can have me some of their food for even just a snack!”

We got out of the car and the little boy was delirious to see water.  He called it “ocean.”  He was thrilled to see a boat going by.  We held hands and walked out just a bit onto the dock and back.  A dead end road snaked around the bottom of the park and we followed that awhile before walking up the hill to the play area.  As we got nearer, a sweet lady came up to us, almost as if to welcome us, and cheerily introduced herself.  Turns out, their son’s birthday was the day before but they’ve put together this party as a fundraiser for “Operation Christmas Child.”  They just moved to town from Texas and thought, ‘what better way to meet other families than to get together and hang out?’  She insisted we join them for food as they’re about to eat.  We were shy, of course, and declined politely, even though I could really use a little food at that point.  The play area emptied as the kids ran for some grub and our little one quite enjoyed himself on the swing…a lot!

We were leaving to fly the tricopter on the prairie-looking side of the park when the sweet lady earlier started walking towards us.  Hubby and our little guy were far ahead of me at this point so I decided to hang a bit more and talk as she seemed unhurried to get back to the pavilion.  Talk we did and what wonders to know how small our world really is!  Suffice it to say that we both know of one other person in town.  And of course, as I was leaving, she insisted again that I grab some food to take with us.  My desperate hunger succumbed.  She was quite happy to see me with a plate of food.  I gave that sweet lady a hug goodbye…a rare thing to do at first encounters but I do so believe she was an angel today.

I walked to catch up with my two boys with such a light and warm hearted feeling.  Wow!  What were the chances that a sweet lady was at a park I’ve never been to before, knows someone I know, offers us her food and shares it with us, and just was genuinely pleased to have met us that day?  I know, it happens all the time, right?  I just cannot shake the feeling that God was saying, “Look Honey, I care for you and if this one other child of mine brings a smile to your heart, I will send her directly in your path!”  Thank you, God!

And thank you, Dawn!  (The chances that you’ll actually ever see this post is slim to none but I wrote this to remember your very thoughtful gesture of blessing us with your food and the time you took to stop and chat with us in the midst of the swirling party around you.)

*I would have shown pictures of today but I was without a camera.  This was meant to be written in memory.*