I Love Surprises

 Lovelies,

    It has been the most wonderful evening! My first ever Seder dinner at the church where I attend, and though I arrived a little late with my friend on this foggy, drizzly night, we were not the latest! That turned into an even bigger miracle when two friends, a couple I haven't seen or heard from in 10 years, whom I thought I had nothing in common with and had resigned myself to never seeing again-- were seated next to me:) Oh the joy when I figured it out!

    In my peripheral vision, I couldn't see their faces very well, and I was embarrassed to turn and look straight at them. I recognized them both as soon as the man opened his mouth:) Hearing a voice often helps me recognize a face. Have you ever noticed that in yourself?

    My long-lost friend and his wife held court over the table for the rest of the night. They prompted conversations and helped serve the food! Sometimes I even felt like it was the three of us leading the proceedings, as I would jump in to start a conversation around something he asked. It was like the night had turned into a symphony.

    On top of that, the dinner was delicious. All of the food was familiar and not over cooked or over seasoned. It reminded me of a story I heard once of sailors who survive a storm. In their log book they write "God is over all." This evening was definitely that. To serendipitously be seated between one of my new friends who brought me to the Seder and a friend from an entirely different chapter of my life?! I felt so loved. Both on Earth and by the divinity that arranged our meeting:)

    When I got home I returned a missed call to a former romantic interest. He assured me that I deserve all the good things that tonight brought me, and that he can't wait to go out with me for coffee again soon. I'm so excited about it too. The changes in our relationship just this past month have made me feel so very good about myself, in spite of a brain that feels almost perpetually in a pre-menopausal fog.

    Sunday will be a marathon of Easter celebrations with my spiritual family and some new neighbors, probably some I haven't even met! As one who loves adventure, this is just the sort of thing I've been craving.

    It's an entirely different sensation to feel seen by God. As present as I feel He always is in my life, I don't always sense his eyes on me. For a woman with a disability, feeling seen by the world is hard enough. Tonight I had a feeling I rarely have. A closeness I never imagined without having to ask for it. Hosanna.

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