Cracker Crumbs and Little Friend
When you first read the title of this message, you might think I’m referring to finding a mouse or some other little creature eating cracker crumbs. No, not this time.
This past weekend, Alan decided to vacuum the floor in the living room. He’s a sweetheart! He takes care of the vacuuming and yes, I appreciate him very much.
As I was in our home office writing articles, blog posts, and taking care of other things on the computer, I heard the laundry room closet door open and close. I could hear Alan moving the vacuum across the floor and unwrapping the cord. A slap sounded when the cord hit the floor.
The loud sounds of my hard working husband and the hard working vacuum cleaner began. I kept writing. Best if I stayed out of the way. Alan was on a mission. I could hear Alan grunting as he moved the heavy vacuum cleaner back and forth across thick carpet and then, on to the hardwood floor.
Ten minutes passed. Machine turned off and all was quiet. The only sounds I could hear were the ice maker in the refrigerator and the sweet laughter of children playing outdoors.
Footsteps…
Alan entered the office. Stretching out his right arm, he opened his palm to display a tiny toy figure.
“What’s this? Where did this come from? I found this toy stuck between the sides of the cushion of the brown chair in the living room. I also found a lot of cracker crumbs under the chair.”
“Oh, my goodness! That is Rowan’s little friend,” I remembered. Rowan had brought “little friend” with him when he came to play last week. Certain toys are very important to three years old boys. I hoped Rowan was not missing this special toy.
We placed “little friend” on the kitchen counter in plain sight, so as not to lose him again. As for the cracker crumbs, they have found a new home in the vacuum cleaner canister. When I empty the can, their new home will be the trash.
I asked the Lord to show me the lesson to be learned from cracker crumbs and “little friend”. The Lord answered. He reminded me that we are never lost when we have Jesus in our heart. He reminded me that even cracker crumbs have a purpose. If Alan had not been vacuuming up the cracker crumbs, he would not have found Rowan’s special toy.
Have you looked under your chairs or couch lately? Are there cracker crumbs or toys waiting to be found? Each moment is precious. Take time to thank God for the small things in life. There’s always something to be learned. Share your crackers. Share your toys. Share His love.
Blessings and laughter,
Mimi aka Melissa
The Missing Pieces
A small pair of binoculars sits in my desk drawer.The dark green color on the binoculars has faded over the years to a greenish brown tone. I take them out of the drawer from time to time and look for wildlife. Eagles, hawks, egrets, herons and of course, hummingbirds. A thick black strap is attached to each side, making ease of wearing them around my neck.
The strap shows signs of age as frayed pieces of fabric escape to the floor when I touch the binoculars. Tiny strands that were once strong now are soft and fall apart easily. As the torn pieces escape in the air, they remind me of dust floating aimlessly.
I wonder if now is the time to replace the binoculars with a new pair.
Deciding to hold on to them for a while longer, I attempt once more to place the worn holder around my neck. OOPS! The string releases from the side. I quickly grasp the binoculars preventing a crash on the hardwood floor.
The once strong holder is now at the weakest point and cannot bear the load any longer.
Perhaps there can be a repair. Surely, that would cost less than a brand new pair of binoculars. I begin to closely study the place where the tear happened. Pieces are missing. Little pieces that will need a magnifying glass to find. On hands and knees, I search the floor. A flashlight, a magnifying glass, and determination to find the three tiny missing links.
Frustration sets in. Nothing is found. Well…only a piece of cracker that somehow made it’s way to the floor. Wait, when did I eat a cracker? Moving on.
Alan searches for the missing pieces, too. Nothing else is found. We give up.
No repair. We’ll have to buy a new pair online.
Time comes to vacuum. If those pieces are on the floor, the vacuum will find them. No. Nothing is recovered. The missing links have completely disappeared.
We say we’ll never know what happened and why we can’t find three little items on the floor.
Life goes on. We walk on the floor every day.
Then…it happened. Grandson Rowan visits. He walks across the carpet and says, “Mimi, what’s on my foot?”
Yes, there on the bottom of his foot are the missing pieces. How did this happen? We are thankful there were no sharp pieces and no injury. They stuck to his foot like stickers.
Three little pieces to a binocular strap and they were found by a three year old boy.
We laugh. We thank Rowan. Alan finds his special tools for small things and begins a repair process. All is well.
I look for God’s message in this situation. I remember God wants us to go to Him for all things. Big pieces and little pieces of our lives. Did I remember to pray and ask for help in finding the missing pieces? No. I tried to solve the problem on my own and it didn’t work. God allowed Rowan to find the lost items. An innocent child to remind me of what is important in life.
Don’t worry. Take our “missing pieces” and worries to God. He will guide us through every moment. Something like a small pair of binoculars and their torn strap can bring a lesson of faith and patience and joy.
Thank You God, for bringing joy to life.
Do you have any “missing pieces” in your life? Have you taken your worries to Him?
Have a blessed day,
Mimi aka Melissa
Shoe Tissue and Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy…
I’m laughing out loud this morning. Yes, the new year has begun and God is already giving me ways to laugh at myself and find joy. I appreciate the ways God shows me how to find joy every day.
One of my Christmas presents was a beautiful pair of bedroom slippers. The kind with the “no slip” backing, cozy and soft inside and cute on the outside. I couldn’t wait to try on my new slippers. I imagined my toes snuggling up to the inside of the shoes. No more cold feet on the floor. This was going to be fantastic!
Slipping my right foot into the opening of the shoe, I paused when I reached a certain point. My foot would not budge any further. I had already double checked the size. Yes, that was correct. What could cause my foot to only enter halfway into the shoe? Perhaps the size was marked incorrectly? Perhaps my foot was swollen due to eating too many salty foods the day before?
Reasons began filling my thoughts.
These slippers were cute and looked like they would make my feet comfortable. Why weren’t they fitting? Disappointment began to set in.
But, wait….
Yes, you may have experienced the same thing with a pair of shoes you tried to wear.
Silly Mimi! Looking inside the slipper, I noticed a large ball of tissue paper inserted in the toe area. That paper was placed inside to give the shoe form. Hooray!
Removing the tissue paper allowed my foot to slip right inside and find a home. Now, to the other shoe. Same thing, more tissue paper.
All ended well. Paper removed, feet inserted into slippers and a comfy, cozy experience began.
Along with finding joy in the simple moments in life, grandson Rowan and I have created our own song to sing when we are together. Simple words.
We sing “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy…Happy, Happy, Joy!” Sometimes the tune or the rhythm changes, but the song always fills us with joy.
When we sing these words, Rowan and I bust out in laughter. I look forward to the day when we can teach his baby sister, Eden, the words to our special song. Yes, baby sister Eden was born in November 2020. We are now blessed with two wonderful grandchildren. Thank You Lord.
Look for joy in the simple moments. Whether tissue paper in a shoe or singing a made up song, God is providing happiness and joy. Can you share a time of unexpected joy?
Blessings and Happy New Year,
Mimi aka Melissa Henderson