November 30, 2014

The great escape meets divine appointment

I had put the kids to bed tonight and was closing the windows when I noticed that the screen had been pushed out a ways on one of the windows. I didn't think much of it and shut the window. I fed the cats and sat down at my computer. Normally, within five minutes of having sat down, I will experience the remarkable joy of having Tinkerbell climbing on my desk, up my back, nuzzling my chin, etc. She didn't come. I was surprised and called her and Joey. They didn't come. Now, OK, cats don't come when called as dogs do, but still... I noticed they weren't eating their food, which is also unusual. And that's when I looked at the pushed-out screen again. I went over to the window, opened it, and wiggled the screen. Yes, the cats could definitely have fit through that gap.

My heart sank. My cats were outside in the dark. They'd never escaped at night before, and I didn't have any idea how long they'd been out. I left the window open on the off chance they could climb back in (which now seems silly, as the window is several feet off the ground and has no outer ledge). I changed into sweat pants and put on a jacket and my flip-flops to go searching. I had no idea how long it would take or how far they might have gone. I let Timothy know I was going outside and would be back soon.

Tinkerbell came as soon as I called her after stepping outside. But I'd left that window open in the house, so I couldn't put her inside. I had to hold her while I kept calling for Joey. That rascal did not come quite so quickly.

A lady was passing by in the parking lot (we live in a large apartment complex) and said hello, then asked if she could use my phone. I said sure, but she realized I was trying to find my cat so helped me round up Joey. He finally appeared, and we cornered him. So I had two very squirmy cats in my arms. I dashed into the house, told Timothy they were fine, ran to shut the window, and then let the cats down. I dashed to get my phone and went back outside, keeping Tinkerbell away from the door. (She attempts escape at least twice a day.) The lady used my phone to call her daughter, who lives in my complex but "was sleeping." She left a message, telling the daughter she'd be at the BP down the street. She then said she "walks," and that her daughter wasn't letting her in. She went off on a long family history, most of it confused and repetitive. I gathered that she had moved down here recently from Indiana to watch her three grandchildren so her daughter didn't have to pay for day care. But her daughter's boyfriend was making up lies about her, so her daughter wasn't letting her in the apartment. She kept repeating that she'd just found out that they had taken the oldest grandchild back to Indiana, "maybe in a cop car," and that he had beat her up. (He is eight.) At some point, I offered her food or a cup of coffee. She came in for the coffee and continued her story--really more of a rant. She was calm and kept saying, "But I'm OK. I'm fine. I'm not crying." She asked me twice--in the midst of her tirade--to pray for her. I offered her a coat--which is funny in itself, and here's why:

I have a coat that my mom gave me--a really nice one--that no longer fits well. It doesn't button when I wear layers under it. I'd put the coat in my give-away box but had hoped to find someone to give it to instead of just taking it to Good Will. This morning at church, Pastor Jeff said many things of great import, among which was that one of the best ways to avoid the love of money is to be generous. During the sermon, I thought about that coat and tried to figure out a way I could give away the coat to someone who really needed it. While I didn't get a miraculous answer, I figured I'd know the right time and the right person when that time came.

And this was it. Tonight when that lady came into my apartment and told me all about her family drama, I knew she needed that coat. She was thin, and I knew she had no real place to go, that she would rest in a nearby hotel lobby until they made her leave. She didn't initially accept the coat but then agreed to take it. She put it on and reached in the pockets, to discover that I'd left gloves in the pockets. We were both surprised, but I told her to yes, take the gloves, too!

Timothy poked his head out of the bedroom to see what was going on, and she finally said she would go and let me take care of my kids. I asked her her name, and she told  me Lisa. I said that before she left, I wanted to pray with her. If you know me at all, you know this is so not me!! But gosh, Pastor Jeff always talks about meeting people all over town (especially at Panera :)) and praying for them. So I figured I'd give it a try. God is pretty darn amazing, and I know He was here with Lisa and me as we prayed.

Pray for Lisa. She's recently divorced from her husband of almost 30 years and is going through a lot of family drama. And right now she is out there "walking" in the cold with no where to go for the night. At least she now has a coat and gloves.

Don't misunderstand; I'm not writing any of this to toot my own horn. I'm not special for entertaining a stranger. (Some would call me downright foolish!) I'm not a super-Christian for praying with some lady facing a lot of anxiety and worry. I'm just excited that God is so big and works in so many ways! If the cats hadn't escaped, I wouldn't have met Lisa and given her my coat. Maybe someone else would have reached out to her. God uses so many people in so many ways! But I'm thankful tonight that I got to be part of what our faith is all about: love.

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this encouraging account!

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  2. I love how God uses bits and pieces of different situations to help people and for His glory. I am praying for Lisa.

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  3. This is wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

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