Treats From the Father

I have taken, these past few years, to noticing and enjoying unexpected little treats from the Father. God has a way of surprising us with little gifts. Often, we are too blinded by other things in our life to see them.

Tonight, I had decided to begin a habit of walking, just a little, each evening. I have a trick knee as well as aches in the joints. This is not uncommon at my age. About a year ago, I picked up a free hardly-used quad cane from a Freecycle member. I use it for long hallways when I'm out or for anything further than one or two mobile home lots in distance. I must do this to be safe and avoid falling and risking breaking a part that isn't yet damaged.

Anyhow, I knew I should start small so that I would feel successful and thus encourage myself to do it again, and again, and again. My nephew walks faster and further than I do each evening. I used to try, a year ago, to keep up with him. I finally realized I need my own pace and my own goals. So, I began. I told myself I could easily manage half of my block on our senior mobile home community street. That means about 9 homes/lots up a slight grade, cross the street, and 9 homes/lots back down.

I was very happy with my results. I did not feel out of breath like I used to do when I tried to keep up with my nephew last year. On the way back down, though, I felt my knee beginning to act up so I was sure to tread very carefully. When I came in, it seemed my lungs felt better (even though they never feel bad) and I felt more alert. I felt good about the walk. I decided at that point to do that much every evening for a week, then I will increase it, on a weekly basis, gently. I will occasionally do it in the early morning, as well. I am always up at dawn and often out at the grocery, or dropping off payments of one type or another, before 7am. On mornings when I do not have errands, I will walk.

I was very excited about the way things went. After we were both back home for about half an hour, I heard a knock at my back door. Nobody comes here that late (almost 8pm). By the time I got to the door, which was open for my kitty to sit on the back steps, there was a really big pizza on the dryer by the door and my neighbor was strolling back to her home across the street and one up from me. I called to her and she told me it was leftover from a party they had just had over at the community pool. When I opened it, it was a whole pizza. I figure God used her to give me a nice treat for being such a good girl tonight. I quickly downsized the pizza by one slice, as did my nephew. We will have fun picking on it for the next day or so.

Thank you, Father, for all the times you treat me, your child, with surprises. Please bless me with open eyes so that I may recognize your hand in these acts of kindness. And please bless my neighbor for her thoughtfulness in sharing her bounty.