God’s Good Gifts

Mr. 4-Ever and I were driving home from a conference on a hot and sunny day.

We’d been on the road for hours, and I just had to have a break . . . and a chocolate malt. A jumbo cup of thick, chocolatey deliciousness.

I tried to talk myself out of it, but the hankering would not go away.

Finally, I asked Mr. 4-Ever to be on the lookout for ice cream.

We got off at the next exit and followed the signs to McDonald’s.

Mind you, McDonald’s would do, but really, I had something a little different in mind.

I wanted hand-scooped ice cream and lots of malt powder mixed with whole milk and all blended together. I wanted my cold, smooth concoction fresh from the whirl of a malt maker.

Just as we saw the golden arches, I spied an ice cream stand on the other side of the road.

“Can we go there instead?” I asked Mr. 4-Ever excitedly.

“No, let’s just stick with McDonald’s,” he said.

He was already in McDonald’s mode: drive-through quick, inexpensive, and satisfactory.

“Okay,” I offered as a disappointing reply.

“I have to use the ladies’ room anyway. I’ll go in and get the shake.”

At the counter, I saw a big “Out of Order” sign on the machine that oozes milk shakes.

I was practically giddy as I asked the server, “Is your milkshake machine working?”

“No, I’m so sorry, ma’am. It’s broken. May I get you something else?”

“No, thank you,” I replied.

I skipped out to the car to tell Mr. 4-Ever the news.

“Are you kidding?” he said, looking suspicious.

Now, to be honest, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that I might exaggerate the truth
to get what I want, but God was with me on this occasion!

“Nope, I’m not kidding,” I told him, giving him my sincerest look.

“They have no ice cream capability today. We’ll have to go across the street to the ice cream stand, after all.”

Mr. 4-Ever shook his head, and started the car. He pulled into the lot and parked in the shade of the cinder-block ice-cream stand.

“You deserve the best!” was painted in big, swirling script the length of the exterior wall.

I looked at Mr. 4-Ever.

“We would have settled for a McDonald’s shake when God really wanted us to have a thick, handmade chocolate malt.

You deserve the best, Dave!”

Mr. 4-Ever nodded and smiled. “Isn’t God good? He loves us so much!”

• Last summer it was a chocolate malt.
• Later it was a great deal on a refurbished laptop computer I needed.

• Last week, it was a job opportunity I thought was a no go.
• Two years ago, it was finding the tiny jewel for Dave’s watch he’d dropped in the snow.

• Three years ago, my purse was stolen. It was recovered by the police in a different state
  with all the contents still inside.

How many times do I forget to expect good things from our good, good Father?

What has he surprised you with lately?

Leave me a comment and let me know…then go and expect good things from God today!

Verse

Prayer

Father, you know how to give such good gifts to me! How often do I forget that you are a good gift giver. You give, not because I deserve but because that is who you are. Thank you, Lord, for all the gifts—both big and small—that you continually bless me with. Amen.