Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".
For this week, here is my list:
1. Sight: 'Praying' Hands Shadow
2. Hearing: "You look cute." / Conversation With Bro. Dennis
3. Smell:
4. Taste: Blueberry/Pomegranate Smoothie
5. Touch:
The stories behind the list:
1. Wednesday night as Bro. Nick was teaching, a shadow on the door caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. The door is to the left at the front of the room, and when I turned to look, I saw it was a shadow of what looked like hands folded to pray cast on the door. Bro. Nick, in his earnestness to make some point, had pressed his hands together, pointing them toward his young audience, and their shadow was cast on the youth room door by the lights on the opposite wall. The symbolism made it an image of striking significance. I caught my breath. Oh that the Lord would indeed make this room and this youth group a place characterized by prayer, so that any who go through that door would feel it's power!
2. Sunday I tried something a little different (for me), style-wise. I found belts at Dirt Cheap for a dollar this past week, and (besides getting two narrow brown ones that I've been wanting for months) I decided to be adventurous and get a sortof indigo/perriwinkle blue one too. I usually stick to simple and neutral when it comes to accessories (shoes, belts), so getting a blue belt was a little different for me. But for a dollar, I figured if I ended up never wearing it, I could give it away!
So Saturday I was getting in my closet to decide what I'd wear the next day to church (I don't like having to do that Sunday morning with all the other church preparations going on; I'd rather have at least my clothes ready the night before) and I stumbled upon a light-periwinkle blue cotton print skirt I'd made several years before. I hadn't worn it much recently because the white blouse I'd always worn with it was needing mending (and is actually still hanging up in the sewing-room closet, waiting). But that skirt made me think of the belt. And then I remembered an off-white cardigan I'd gotten really cheap somewhere a few months ago, thinking it'd work with another outfit. It hadn't, but I like cardigans, so I'd kept it. I had an off-white sleeveless top I'd made to go under something else a year-or-so ago too. And beige patent flat shoes I'd bought for Toby and Lindy's wedding. All these pieces began popping into my head when I saw that skirt, and I wondered if the outfit would 'work'. But it was supposed to be hot, and I didn't want to suffer in a sweater, so I picked out something cooler.
Then Sunday morning came, drizzly and a little chilly, and at the last minute I pulled those pieces out of the closet, hastily ironed the skirt and cardigan (it had been smashed between some other things in my closet), and dressed in that outfit. The belt was too long, so I poked another hole in it with Mom's ice pick on my way out the door. I wasn't sure if the 'look' was that great on me after all, but there was no time to evaluate, so off I went.
Later after church, Autumn came up behind me on her way out and picked a couple of loose dark hairs off the back of my light-colored sweater (oh yeah, by the way, I really went out on a limb and wore my hair down - I never do that!), saying, "You've got hair all over you!"
'Oh, thanks!' I said gratefully, turning around, 'Just another reason I never wear my hair down!'
"I feel your pain!" she smiled, dropping the last one. 'My hair does the same thing.' She started to walk on, but gave me a once-over. "You look cute!" she complemented.
"Thanks!" I tried not to seem shocked, but I was so surprised! Autumn doesn't just dish out complements, so I knew she must not be flattering me - she really meant it! It made me feel really good.
/
Thursday afternoon, Bro. Dennis came through the restaurant drive-thru, about fifteen minutes before I was supposed to get off. I was carried back over a year as we made small talk and I handed him his order. It was so natural, I could hardly believe it. Just as if he'd taught Sunday School class a couple of days before, as if there had never been those months of silence and strangeness, like he was who he used to be, the Bro. Dennis I knew... ages ago. He wasn't 'faking' or 'putting it on' just so I'd give him his food and let him go - he was simply, matter-of-factly, carrying on a conversation with me as if nothing strange had ever happened and he hadn't figuratively disappeared from my world, or spoken to me only twice in almost a year. It was a very simple conversation (i.e. 'Hey, I've never seen you here before' 'Yeah, I'd come more often, I just forget. I like the food here better than most places actually' - something like that, you get the idea) but it was so much like old times that my heart was gladdened and my hope was renewed that - one day - restoration will happen.
3.
4. Wednesday evening before church I took Joy, Piper, and Abigail to McDonald's for an ice cream treat. Joy and I got one of the McD's blueberry/pomegranate smoothies they've been promoting this summer. I'd been wanting one since I first saw them advertised right before the Chicago mission trip, and finally got to try it. It was not too sweet, just very blueberry-y and pomegranate-y! Very good!
5.
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