Unexpected Treats

God always has those for us, doesn't He?  When we think we can't go on in silence forever, He has a special thing waiting for us.  This time it came in the unexpected visit with friends.

We had to go to visit someone while we were in this area, so we planned that visit.  It was a visit to one who is one of us, and we wondered how it would go, but it was a good time.  There were tears and long talks.  It was a time to be amazed at what God had done and to give thanks.

But then from there, we went to visit someone I had no idea would be in this area of the world!  I had met him as a five year old boy on a totally different continent, but now he was married and here!!  So we went to visit.  What a wonderful day!  We shared our lives, our work, and after lunch, we sat and my husband briefly told the story.  It was a relief to sit together, to tell the story, and to hear the emotions.  This time, not just the facts came out, but some emotion, and our new friends listened well.  It was an unexpected treat in the middle of a journey with so much enforced silence to even be able to share the little we could in the two hours we spent with them!  We left refreshed and feeling loved.

An unexpected blessing.  This was a child who I had cared for and taught.  He smiled when he saw me and said, "I honestly could not remember what you looked like, but I did remember what you taught us.  I remembered this one song you taught us, too, and we sang it for years!"  Then he began to sing for me,

Did you ever talk to God above?
Tell Him that you need a friend to love.
Pray in Jesus’ name believing
that God answers prayer.

Have you told Him all your cares and woes?
Ev’ry tiny little fear He knows.
You can know He’ll always hear
And He will answer prayer.

You can whisper in a crowd to Him.
You can cry when you’re alone to Him.
You don’t have to pray out loud to Him;
He knows your thoughts.

On a lofty mountain peak, He’s there.
In a meadow by a stream, He’s there.
Anywhere on earth you go,
He’s been there from the start.

Find the answer in His Word; it’s true.
You’ll be strong because He walks with you.
By His faithfulness He’ll change you, too.
God answers prayer.

The very fact that I could teach them a song is a miracle in itself, since this is also the kid who looked up at me when I was trying to sing the ABC's to him and said, "Miss Ellie, I know that song... but to a different tune."!  Yeah, thanks kid!

But as we drove that day and as I traveled the next, that song stuck in my head... one I used to teach children, and one I needed to hear then.  Over and over it played in my head for the next several days, quietly calming me.

An unexpected treat.