November 8 – “An unexpected combination”

Well, now.  That was unexpected.  Chris decided to drive up into Texas to get some stuff for church at Hobby Lobby (No, that’s not what was unexpected).  I stayed at the house to do some more work on a wedding I have this weekend as well as on the teaching for Sunday (Nope, that wasn’t the unanticipated event, either).  I finished up the wedding notes and got a start on the teaching, when I hit my wall.  That sometimes happens to me.  Creativity comes to a crashing halt.  It’s not that I wanted to stop, and I even felt OK physically.  But I had reached the end of what I had to offer for the day.  I went into the den and turned on an episode of Arrow we had taped to see if some mindless dribble could inspire me. 

About that time I heard the front door fly open and who should proclaim her presence but Cailyn, followed shortly by her Daddy and even her Mommy.  Cailyn presented me with a gift bag.  There, embossed with glitter, read “DadDad.”  The gift was no doubt for me.  And just under it was written, “A just ‘cause day.”  Hmm.  Something Hallmark came up with, I assumed.  Quite curious by that point, I got the bag opened and peered inside.  Cailyn was quick to point out the presence of a card.  Hand-made gem, I might add.  She had written (and punched out the centers of all the letters with a circle in them, like “p” and “a” and “D”) “Happy Just ‘Cause Day DadDad!”  Surrounding the main message were several smaller ones: “Your Awesome,” and “best person ever,” and “we miss you!”  And there at the bottom was the answer to my query concerning this mystery holiday, a P.S.  “I made it up!  HA HA (smiley face laughing).”  Well, the card itself was enough to make me feel loved.  And, a as you can imagine, I was pretty stunned.  Creativity tends to do that to me.  But then I saw an actual gift in the bag.  I was even more intrigued.  Could it really be?  Yep.  They had given me an Astros Champions t-shirt.  Astros and a Hallmark-quality creation of a granddaughter’s heart.  That’s an unexpected combination.  That’s a fine day.

3 John 2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

Father, thank you for unexpected combinations.  Amen.