Blessings in the little things

Since Norman is learning through a one on one tutor this trimester, I am walking the mile to (and from) school by myself these days. On Friday of the first week of school, a car pulled up next to me as I was walking to school. I thought it was waiting for traffic but the traffic cleared and it was still there moving slowly. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see if it was red, meaning it was a taxi looking for business and saw that it was a black car. I just kept walking looking straight ahead, praying. Then the car pulled up a little ahead of me where I could see in the window and I saw it was a teacher from school that I recognized and she was asking if I wanted a ride. I was so relieved and excited to have a ride! Her two children were in the back seat, a boy and a girl. She had interrupted her praying with them to pick me up. She finished her prayer as we rode to school. It reminded me of the many trips to school with Heather and Ryan. We too prayed every morning in the car on the way to school.

This is what a Costa Rican taxi looks like:

I learned that she lives near by. She didn't offer to pick me up every day but I knew if she saw me she would pick me up. Our paths are only the same for about the first 5 minutes of my 15 to 20 minute walk. I know walking is good for me and it gets me moving in the morning, but a break every once in awhile sure is nice. So I prayed that God would have our paths cross whenever I needed a break. The following week, the morning after my mom's surgery, I was really late because Norman and I had spent some time praying for my mom before I left. I prayed that Ana, the teacher, would be late that morning too. I was less than a block from my turn off the main road and my chance for her to pick me up, when a car pulls up next to me with a honk. It was her. I just smiled to myself and prayed a prayer of thanks. She told me she was VERY late as I quickly climbed into the car. I apologized to her and told her it was my fault because God was answering my prayer. We made it to school on time!

She has picked me up 2 times this week. I have learned that if I leave just a few minutes later I have a better chance of crossing paths with her. :) My rides with her and her 9ish some year old daughter and 6ish some year old son have consisted of prayer and then loudly listening to their favorite song about Bartemaus in the bible, sang in spanish with a very latino beat, accompanied by their young voices and a spanish trill interjected here and there by her cute son! It is great and makes me smile! What a great way to start the day! It makes me think of the cars that we would drive by every once in awhile in Omaha with latino music blaring. Now I am one of the people in that car. However, it isn't as rare here. :)

Praise the Lord for smiles and pleasures in the little things such as a ride to school and little spanish voices singing along to latino music!