Ice Cream and an Angel

This morning I went to church and prayed on bended knees for strength because I'm tiered of being a failure in society's eyes.

Usually I drive to work but today I took the bus and after work I didn't have a way to get home so my co-worker Judy offered me a ride. Judy is a strong Christian woman who never seems to be doubtful or insecure but today she opened up about her pain and struggles. She told me that recently she was really feeling sorrowful and just as she was ready to burst out crying somebody approached her and said, "Be happy and joyful because you are loved by God." Judy said that those simple words of hope kept her smiling all day and she felt that God was watching over her. We both agreed that life is easier to cope with when we have faith and trust in the LORD almighty.

Since I wanted to walk the rest of the way home, Judy dropped me off on the Tart trail which is perfect for bicycling and walking. There are trees and streams all around and the divine nature is soothing.  I knew I was about 30 minutes from home but the time went by so fast walking that before I knew it I was at my favorite store for ice cream.  The woman behind the ice cream counter was so sweet and gave me samples of a few ice cream flavors. When I decided on the flavor she generously filled the ice cream cup to the very top. What a blessing! I enjoyed every bite of that ice cream but it was hard to walk and eat ice cream. I found a picnic table to sit at and while I enjoyed my ice cream a man said hello to me.

He was waiting for his pizza order and wanted to talk. The man's name was Tom and he was a faithful and religious man who trusted God. All day I was feeling like a failure but after hearing Tom tell me how important it is to count every single one of our blessings and not to think of ourselves as failures in society's eyes I felt an inner peace.

This is what Tom said: "Be thankful for your blessings! I can tell you right now what you have to be thankful for"

#1 You're eating delicious ice cream in beautiful surroundings,
#2 You have your health and a job

#3 You are walking home without any difficulties.
#4 You have a roof over your head and a comfortable bed to sleep on.
#5 You can be an inspiration to others without traveling the globe or being famous. You've been put where you are for now and you can touch many lives with all your interactions in this small city."

Soon Tom's pizza arrived, and I was finished eating my ice cream. I enjoyed those few minutes talking with Tom because he was the angel God sent me. I was feeling so discouraged all week and now I felt hopeful and thankful.

In moments when life seems hard and unfair it's reassuring to know that we are not alone and that no matter how gloomy things may seem there's always blessings to be thankful for.

                                                    My delicious ice cream/ half eaten!