Special Delivery
Sometime after 9 p.m., as I was reading stories on the sofa to a sniffling, cold-suffering Keillor, I heard a knock at the door. At first, I thought it was Shawn, Kellen, Kerrick and Kennah returning from a day trip to Tucson. But when I looked through the peephole, I didn’t see any people—just bags and boxes piled outside the door. Curious, and cautious, I opened the door to find enough groceries to feed a multitude—everything from meat and potatoes to melons and pasta to the biggest cans of tomato sauce I’ve ever seen, and enough packets of Goldfish crackers to satisfy snacking kids for ages. What a surprise! As Keillor and I brought everything into the kitchen, we asked ourselves two questions:
1. Who? (Although I have several guesses, I can’t be sure who’s responsible—and I’m sure that’s quite the point. I haven’t written about it here, yet, or shared it with many people outside of our extended family, but Shawn’s been looking for a full-time job since a layoff in January. Our budget’s been pretty tight, but God’s provision has been timely and amazing to see.)
2. How? (For as much stuff as there was piled outside, we didn’t hear a sound—not even the rustling of plastic bags or the thud of heavy cans of food hitting the ground.)
Whoever you are, you’re good! And I mean that in every sense of the word. Tucked into one of the boxes was a simple note that read, “God bless you!” And the Hemmings Half Dozen would like to say, “Right back at ya!” (Now, if anyone has any recipes that call for such things as a 6-pound, 9-ounce can of diced carrots and peas, please share!) 
9 comments
How AWESOME!
And good He is! What a gracious and awesome God we serve! “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all our anxiety upon Him, because he cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever, Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11
Thank you, Lord, for caring for my brother, sister-in-law and their family!
And to the secret food deliverers: May God shower you with His love, grace and blessings for your kindness and generosity!
Wow, what a blessing to have whoever that was in your life. And no, it wasn’t me, though I wish I could take credit for being such an angel! That is really special.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
You got it, Lisa!
Yes. And humbling, too. Can’t wait till the day we can pay it forward!
Awesome, Faith! Boy, do you ever have the right name! (Even if all the kids call you “Aunt Faif” or “Aunt Thaith”!)
Sonya, You obviously have wonderful and caring friends. What a great gift. Several years ago we were going through some difficult times after a house fire. The help and prayers of our many friends got us through it. I now look back on those days and think about the many lessons it taught us rather than the challenges we had to endure. I hope that your current challenges are brief. I will say a few extra prayers for you.
Jeff—I remember your house fire, and I can only imagine how devastating it was. Thanks for your encouragement and your prayers! Yes, these are challenging times for the Hemmings Half Dozen, but I know we will come out of it stronger and wiser and more tuned in to the needs of others around us. It is great to have great friends!
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