". . . a new appreciation of the wonders of God's working in every day providences will be perceived more clearly. People who are looking for the spectacular or the extraordinary become distracted so that they do not always see how great is the way God orders ordinary processes to meet the needs of his people. . ." (p. 132)
And then I was too tired to read much more. I put the book away and began to pray until weariness & distraction quickly ended that. I did not know what time it had gotten to be, nor what time Cal would be out of his class. But it occurred to me to try and call him at his office on my cell phone to tell him I loved him and goodbye before he went to catch a plane for DC (he attends an ISA reception tomorrow). He answered. He had just called home to say goodbye to me, leaving a message with Kilby. He was just leaving for the airport. He thought by my call that I had just returned home. I explained my situation. After a brief conversation of love I turned off the phone. Then I thought of God's providence and His blessing in putting Cal and me together just now. Father, help me to see ever more clearly your great and infinite kindnesses in all your gracious acts of kindness permeating my life. This indeed should give me a spirit of thanksgiving. It should also give me much reassurance of Your precious presence with me always. Perhaps that is the real point of my pre-Hurricane Wilma dream in which I spent the entire night in dreams of preparing for impending storms, even in spite of fervent prayer during the wakeful periods that God would remove the fearful dreams from me. It is a provident & loving God who gave me those dreams, denying my plea, keeping me safe in spite of my fear during the wee hours of Wilma's approach, causing me to consider the next evening that the dreams had been meant to remind me of His very specific & indulgent (?) providence.
Everywhere, three weeks later, looks like "chastisement" to me. So many very old, "permanent," once-beautiful trees are broken, shattered, ruined. The brush piles are being removed & folks get reimbursed by insurance companies for debris removal. The traffic lights & twisted or non-existent road signs will eventually be replaced. The morning traffic--rather, all traffic, is much worse--a result of an influx of workers to repair the storm's damage. Our internet will come back soon, we hope, we have even prayed. But I believe the signs of God's power, those signs that look like wrath, will be visible for months. But summer & winter, springtime & harvest will go on to remind us of God's faithfulness.
(Internet returned 11-16 p.m.)
