Serendipity

"Happy accident or pleasant surprise." That's what serendipity means.  Yesterday I was remembering a bowl I like to use for potato salad for a large group.  We were having a church dinner, and that bowl would be perfect, I thought.  Seldom used, the beautiful clear, cut-glass bowl was stored in cabinets above the refrigerator. I got a stepstool and pulled the cabinet knobs.  Nothing! It wouldn't budge! With consternation, I could see the doors were painted shut from a kitchen paint job we'd had done several months ago!

It would have been just the right size, looking large with its wide brim but having a medium bowl size, since the potato salad didn't yield quite as much as I wanted. Now I would have to look for another bowl, and most of mine were large or small, or not attractive. Then I thought of a bowl that might work! A heavy, crockery bowl that would suit, not too big and not too little.  And carved into the rim in graceful script were the words, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8. I guess the potato salad was good, too, for there was none left.

The day before, we went to the store for a few things I needed for the food I wanted to take to the dinner.  Howard has "graduated" from his walker to a footed cane, but I held his arm as we started to walk up the sloping lot toward the supermarket, since all the handicapped spaces were taken. 

Just then we heard a voice calling, "Would like this basket?" We turned to see a young woman with a couple of kids hanging on about to return her cart to the store.  We gladly accepted! Howard gratefully placed his cane into it and pushed it into the store, where he could ride in a motorized cart.

"That was a blessing!" I said as we walked away.  Not a happy accident, but a God-initiated divine appointment! The lady was there just at the right time with the right support we needed!  It is a common occurrence in the parking lot that someone will offer a basket rather than return it, for which we usually refund their quarter they have deposited. That may have been what she was doing, not realizing that we would not need it for our few purchases, since they would go in the basket of Howard's handicapped cart. But God knew we needed it now for my husband to hold on to!

We were quite rattled by the Saturday morning surprise when our house shook and the air rumbled! Afterward, I looked for anything dislodged in the house, since Howard said he heard something fall.  The only thing I found was a decorative plate lying down on its stand in the bookcase. A pleasant surprise, but not serendipity.  Nor were any of the other happenings only happy accidents, but proof that God is good! Taste and see!