No Time Wasted

I received a note from my boss yesterday that my food demo was cancelled for the following day because of a glitch in the delivery system of the product. This meant that my Tuesday schedule was unexpectedly wide open. 

While I processed that last-minute schedule change in my head and adjusted to the new plan, I couldn't help but wonder what the Lord had in store instead of the demo. It seemed too last-minute and too obscure of an issue to be merely chance. And even if it were, I had a feeling that the Lord would redeem the time and bring his purposes to a now "free-schedule" day. 

Sure enough, only an hour later, I received a text from a mom in Oak Park whom I have babysat for once before. I got connected with this family quite "randomly" actually, but it was such a delight getting to know their two girls, ages 5 and 3 last week.

"Hi Claire! Super last minute so no worries but anyway you are available to watch (J) tomorrow from 8 am to around 5?" she asked in her text message.

"Wow. Funny you should ask! My job tomorrow in the city was just cancelled today (the company had to reschedule), so I am unexpectedly available tomorrow. I need to be back in the suburbs by around 6 to take a family’s photos, but that works out well with your needs too! Ha! The Lord is good, isn’t he??" I responded.

After a lovely day with a 3-year-old, her mom came home from her work at the hospital, and we both marveled at how God would answer a prayer that she hadn't even thought to pray. He knows our needs way before we do, all the way down to clearing my schedule so that this family didn't have to worry about childcare for the day. The Lord is always covering us with his care and love.

(Here's a little person we created together out of treasures we could find from the yard)

This kind of specific care from the Lord abounds. He has been so faithful and near even in ever-changing transition-filled life, and he has surrounded me with the body of Christ in ways that are so tangible here in the suburbs of Chicago for this time. For that reason, all the more, I was so happy to be a small part of God's work in revealing himself and caring for a family here in Chicago today.

This was about God's glory being displayed in such a simple act of his grace - both to this family, and maybe even more so to me!