God's Hand

"We need mayonnaise," I said to my husband as I was collecting the makings for a 7-layer salad to take to a funeral dinner.  Then I remembered he didn't like the brand sold at this discount store.  "Look, they have Miracle Whip," I said, "and it's on sale!"  We normally don't use Miracle Whip (though I was brought up on it, but after nearly 40 years in the deep south we were strict mayo people!)

After I got all the ingredients for the salad, I started having misgivings.  I had always put the pretty salad in a trifle bowl, which attractively set off the different shades of the green layers.  But by the time I got everything in, it was difficult for people to dig down and serve themselves from all the layers.  Besides that, the mayonnaise-mix  topping dripped down in rivulets inside the bowl and hid the salad greens.

I found myself lying in bed and trying to decide on the seven layers.  I knew it had green peas, lettuce, celery, but what else?  Maybe I could look it up on the internet.  The first recipe I saw was for "Vegetable Layered Salad."  It had all the ingredients I had on hand, and the directions said to put it in a 9 x 13 dish!  I'd never thought of that, but it would make for much easier serving!

Then I saw that it called for Miracle Whip topping with a spoonful of sugar!  I had always used mayonnaise with a little vinegar and sugar.  But the Miracle Whip and sugar tasted even better, with just the right tang of tartness!  And without the added vinegar, it wouldn't be so thin that it would run down the sides!

Getting up early, I put the salad together, and it all worked like a dream.  I had it ready to be delivered to the house of a friend by 10 a.m., in plenty of time for her to take it to the church that afternoon. Then we could do our errands, have lunch and get ready for the funeral service at 2:00 o'clock.  I was thanking God for working all this out--from my finding Miracle Whip on sale and buying it, to finding a recipe that called for Miracle Whip, to the idea of using a glass baking pan instead of a bowl!  (I hadn't located  my bowl since moving, anyway.)

We didn't go to the funeral after all, as just before time to go we got a call with the bad news of our granddaughter getting hurt in a four-wheeler accident. I stayed by the phone all afternoon. I got the empty dish returned to me tonight, so I presume it was a success.  My friend's husband, who took the salad when I delivered it to their house, looked at the shredded cheese and bacon bits topping the mayonnaise dressing under the plastic wrap and said, "That looks good!"

Our sweet granddaughter is in the hospital awaiting corrective surgery for her wounds in the morning.  I know she will be alright.  If I can trust God with the little things, I can surely trust Him with the big things!