Joy Dare: October 19, 2021 - 3 GIFTS UNEXPECTED

This morning I was delaying the start of my day and distracting myself with social media. I follow a pastor I've heard speak and he does a regular live show about good news. It's very positive, but I'm not always in the mood for his style. Today, I stopped and listened for the first time in weeks. It was unexpected, it was timely, and I believe it was completely from God. He was talking about Psalm 91:1-2 and how we need to seek shelter regularly in the shadow of God. Sometimes the noise is around us, sometimes it's inside our head. Regardless, we need to "leave the crowd and go sit with the King." I admit I've been fighting this for quite some time. He went on to share something even more powerful and this unexpected live video has the power to change my life if I'll follow up on it. For that, I'm grateful. (I might share the second part in the future.)

This one is going to be vague to you, so I apologize. However, it is one of the most unexpected gifts I'm most grateful for. It must be counted among the three today. I had a situation where finances were super tight, but what I needed to spend money on was important. The person on the other end of the financial transaction lowered their price so it wouldn't burden my budget. They did it without hesitation. I stammered around before I could mutter my appreciation. Honestly, I still plan to pay the full value when and if life brings a windfall. But the depth of gratitude for that unexpected and generous act of kindness remains, even if I can eventually pay the difference.

When I was in my twenties, I worked retail in the shoe department of a regional department store. On my last day, I had two different customers tell me I was exceptional at my job and they wanted to speak to the manager to tell them about their experiences shopping there. These were not regular clients, I'd never met either of them before. They chose to praise me directly, and to management. Those unexpected remarks gave me confidence that carried me through the next job. It made a difference to me to know someone saw my abilities and appreciated them. They are part of the reason I always try to reach out to retail and service workers and let them know I'm glad they're there. That unexpected appreciation still ripples out and I'm grateful for that.

If you are the first to comment, you must click on "No Comments" to start.

#joydare

FIRST-TIME READER?

This is the link to my first post on this topic, in case you're curious what this is about.

https://thatresonates.blogspot.com/2021/10/joy-dare-trial-run-october-1-2-2021.html