I took the chariot in for some maintenance. It is a pain to be without my vehicle. It contains all of my stuff and the radio is tuned to my favorite stations. But, yesterday dropping off the Explorer was a joy!!

First, the dealership offered me a loaner car at no expense. SCORE!

Then, I went into the waiting room and there was a great friend, also waiting for service to be completed on her car. We hugged and chatted and caught up. YAY!

A little while later, I was taken to the rental car place and told that I would need to wait for a car to be ready. Before I could begin to whine, I looked up and there was another friend. We laughed and talked; soon he was on his way and I sat thinking about his amazing family. FANTASTIC!

It is amazing how God puts people into our paths. “What people?” some will ask.

• Well, I have gotten to know the nice, Salvation Army bell ringer who is working at my favorite Wal-Mart. She seems to enjoy recognizing me and I like having someone smile at me when I walk up to the door. She is such a blessing.
• The folks at the Goodwill drop off center and I have gotten to be quite chummy. They never seem to mind that some of the clothes I drop off are YEARS out of date. They smile and chat and offer a receipt to me. I am always encouraged as I wonder how far each of them have come.
• That sweet gal at Tom Thumb and I know each other well enough that she automatically gives me a bag for my “banana trash” when I buy a banana (or two). She is delightful and has made the Tom Thumb seem warmer and more fun than ever before.
• Today, I got to know my latest friend better. She is two. We “chatted” and smiled at each other. She is pure joy!

As the days until Christmas get shorter, may our smiles be wider.

As the New Year approaches, may the time we spend encouraging others be longer than the time we spend worrying about our problems.

As each hour passes, may we not be able to count the number of people who are blessed by our presence.

Last, like the prayer of Jabez of the Old Testament, may our territories, our impact on this world, be increased.

“Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.”  (I Chronicles 4:10)

Love,

Jill (just one of God’s kids)