A fish, thrifting, and a cow

Today at work, some patrons in the lobby came up to our Engineering window and informed my co-worker that a big fish was stuck in the filter.  Not normally what people come to the window for...usually they meander to our window (which is clearly marked "Engineering") and ask if they can pay their bill...we smile and point to the window across the lobby that is clearly marked "Billing."  


I heard the muffled voices (as I was in my cubicle working diligently) and then I heard my co-worker exclaim "Oh, good grief!"  She says this often...so I wasn't alarmed when I heard our door click as she went out to the lobby.  


Several minutes later, I hear the door open and then click shut.  I ask (still seated in my cubicle), "What was that all about?"  And then she explained...a long-nose fish got his tail and behind stuck in the filter.  His head was sticking out.  It alarmed the children.  Not wanting to explain to the children the circle of life, the parents notified us.  My co-worker concluded the story with:  "You know, when I got up this morning, I did not think I would be saving the life of a fish.  You never know what a day will hold..."


She's so right.


After work, I met my friend Sara in Freeport.  We were celebrating her faux birthday with coffee and thrifting!!!  I arrived first at Higher Grounds only to discover that their doors were locked and the sign read:  "CLOSED."  They are only open later on Thursdays in the winter.  Don't they know that people with caffeine-addictions like coffee in the summer too.  Hellooooooo ICED coffee.  Goodness.


After Sara's arrival, we made our way downtown to our favorite thrift - Twice as Nice.  After much meandering and chit-chat and laughter, we both purchased two fabulous items.  Sara found a cute belt embroidered with flowers and a pair of green wedge sandals.  I bought a paid of jeans - like brand-new and a new (with the tags!!!) fuzzy neon blue robe w/lime green polkadots.  [All I could think was THIS ROBE IS DIVERSE!!!!!!  I love that I learned that in the book of James when he talks about diverse temptations that the word translated diverse means polkadots...not a distinct pattern...and kind of random.  Isn't that cool?]


Upon leaving Twice as Nice, we found ourselves starting at a menu board at a new coffeeshop in downtown Freeport.  I forget that not everyone understands when you say "I need to read the ingredients and avoid gluten."  Sara understands and she knows how sick I was last week...sooooo I took a chance and ordered an iced coffee beverage.  Small and decaf.  Sara ordered hers and asked for a medium decaf.  We both stressed decaf.  Well...when our drinks were served, I ended up with the medium and the birthday girl got the small.  This caused me to wonder if she really gave us DE-CAF!  Well, 2 a.m. shall tell us both...I told Sara that if I am awake at 2 a.m. and she is awake at 2 a.m., let's talk!  :)  


Said coffeeshop had live music.  I use the term "live music" loosely...it started out ok.  It was kinda eclectic and coffee-house feeling...but somewhere along the lines it took a wrong turn and it got obnoxious.  We left.  


I delivered Sara to her car and we parted ways...with the promise of seeing one another on Saturday when I come and stay with her lovely children.  


On my drive home, I saw a cow standing near the highway.  Quickly the Lord called to mind a story my Dad shared about how a co-worker of his hit a cow with his semi and the driver was severely injured.  I recall my Dad saying it would be like slamming into a brick wall.  And second, who wants to see a dead cow?  Not me!!!  Sooooooo I found the nearest turn-around and went back the other direction to another turn-around. A quick look and mental calculation told me that this farm was off a side-road and I would need to exit Bypass 20.  A couple turns later and a drive down a winding driveway and I arrived at a cute farmhouse.  It was a single-story ranch-style home with a cute garden.  I knocked on the door and was greeted by a sweet elderly lady.  When I told her about the cow and then how I remembered that story of the trucker, she thanked me over and over for stopping.  I got back in Rosie and drove home thanking the Lord that He allowed me to see the cow and pricked my heart to stop.

When I talked to Sara later, she mentioned that had I not stopped...and had someone in a car hit that cow...there could've been a lawsuit and those people might've lost their farm and lost everything.


Every opportunity that the Lord puts in our path to be a blessing...we need to embrace those opportunities!!!  God will use us...but we MUST be willing to listen and obey!!!


What a busy day...a fish survives the drain ordeal...Sara and I hang-out and encourage one another...and lastly a cow lives.  I wanted sooo badly to take a picture of the cute brown and white cow...but I figured it might spook him/her...and that would not be good.


What in the world is going to happen tomorrow?  I had better iron my Superhero cape!!!