THE CASE OF THE OBSTINATE DOORMAT

            “Hmmm!  Which rug will I pick?”
Having just moved from a house to a tiny apartment, I thought I would place a welcoming mat inside my front door for guests.  I chose one with rich fall colours: browns, rusts and reds.  Yes, I imagined my hall in those tones, including a gilt mirror and an autumn bouquet on a shiny chestnut table.
            Back at the apartment, I smilingly placed the new mat inside the door.  Ah, how cheerful!  And it would be easy to wash, should muddy shoes defile it.
Errk!  I opened the door to go downstairs, and the mat got stuck. Oh, no!  Now the mat under the door had bent double and was solidly wedged in. I could not open or close the door, nor pull the mat out, nor even cut it out. 
It was getting late. 
“I can’t leave my door open all night!” I moaned.  “I’ll just have to phone the superintendant.”
            I did not want to bother the superintendant over such a small thing, especially as I was new, but felt I had no choice.
A phone call, a long wait since he was out of the building, a very quick remedial tug, and the job was done.  A look of “What was your problem anyway?”, a thank-you and I was safely enclosed in my apartment for the night.  “No more doormats!” I promised.
On impulse, I placed the lightweight mat with its rich harvest colours on my new cherry dinette, under the fall centrepiece of a dark wooden African carved bowl in which I had placed a shock of Indian corn, some imitation fruit and red and yellow fall leaves.
            Surprise indeed!  The mat perfectly complimented the décor I already had.  Its rich colours brought out the deep wine reds and golds of the Indian corn and the other warm fall colours of the fruit and leaves. 
“Almost as if it was planned…” I thought. 
I think it was.  I think that the Lord of all creation and the One who created me in my uniqueness knew exactly which rug I would pick and where it was needed.  He wanted to remind me that He understands me intimately and goes ahead of me, turning my “mistakes” into joy.
…All things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 KJVmodernized)
           
           




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE POWER OF LITTLE THINGS

                                 THE POWER OF LITTLE THINGS               “ Little drops of water, little grains of sand Make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.” My father used to sing this old hymn.   Yes, every gigantic ocean wave is made up of tiny droplets; yet no wave, no matter how big, can push past the beach, which is made up of an equally vast army of tiny grains of sand. Speaking of sand, I learned much about the power of little things on my last day of a holiday in Mazatlan, Mexico in January, 2015.   On the last day of our two-week family holiday, we all wanted to swim in the ocean one last time.   But to our dismay, we saw flags posted by the lifeguards which banned swimming - because of jellyfish! Yes, you read correctly:   such a huge influx of tiny blue jellyfish had washed in towards the shore that no humans were advised to swim there that day! Well that’s power in numbers!   One jellyfish alone – a spineless, brainless, gelatinous blob - would be
Read more

RED SALAMANDERS AND SNAPPING TURTLES

                                RED SALAMANDERS AND SNAPPING TURTLES The children had the wildest, most beautiful and educational playground in the world.  As a family, we explored its beauty often.  We went to the Cape Croker Park which was a money-making campground.  We enjoyed the swings, then walked or drove among the lovely, mature blossoming trees and the dense birch section which we dubbed the  ”birch ballet”.  In the woods near our home, we picked up pretty brown and white snail shells and watched for the small, red salamanders which I have never seen anywhere else in Canada.  We walked and waded along the beaches, collecting “fossils”.  Once, on the shale rock in the shallow water behind our house, we actually watched fish hatching. On Sunday afternoons, we usually went for a hike along the bluffs.  We parked our car near the Akiwenzies’ house, which backed onto the bluffs, telling them where we were going, and about when to expect us back.  This was because the bluffs,
Read more

THE MIRACLE JACKET

  THE MIRACLE JACKET With the times becoming so turbulent, and all the signs before Christ’s return in place, I want to tell as many true stories as I can about His special goodness to me all my life.             I remember a time when I had just changed jobs.   A graduate of Hamilton Teachers’ College, I had only been able to get supply work, and so accepted a job in Mississauga at a day care until I should get a teaching position.   Teaching jobs were hard to find just at that time.   However, between paychecks and beginning a job at which I would wear slacks, rather than dresses as in teaching, I needed a jacket to wear with the slacks, it being fall. My new landlady, from whom I had rented a furnished room, was selling some of her clothes.   For very little money I bought a beautiful, warm brown jacket lined with fleece.   The interesting thing is that while my landlady was shorter than I, the sleeves of the jacket were exactly the right length for me.   Too-short sleeves are o
Read more