No matter what your plan, God will intervene for His purposes.
That’s what I tell myself all the time. Case in point:
The Plan: Lead my friend, Tara, from my work to my house, so she can look at my (paid for at an auction, caveat emptor) $190.00 gorilla-sized recliner. She’s in the market for just such an item and hopefully I can recupe some of my expenditure, since I can’t use it, can’t even fit it in my living room.
The Result: Tara says the chair smells like smoke. Damn that habit! I only had it in my house for 2 weeks, but who knows about the previous owners and, according to Tara, her ultra-smell-sensitive husband would not even be able to handle the scent of a Febreeze spray-down. I could really use the money right now, but oh, well, God is in charge. He will provide.
After Tara gives me a semi-firm “no” on the chair, we get really carried away for awhile, because she is fascinated with my eclectic collection of stuff (a/k/a junk, to the uninspired). I am truly embarrassed during our walk-about, but she is truly intrigued. Truly. She says, “How much do want for that? Where did you get that? Wow, that is cool.” I have to admit, I feel a bit validated.
Then the thunderstorm comes.
And the puppy. Remember the puppy?
Tara and I get caught in a downpour, complete with (very close) lightning. I’m still in my dress clothes from work . Thunder, lightning, Jack’s out on the cable getting dog-wet-smelly and I’m out of towels…and, there’s a puppy emergency, seriously. Tara beats a hasty retreat, and I run to the neighbor’s house, bang on the door…
“Come on in.”
In I go.
It’s dark. Everyone (that I can see) is on the couch eating…something. There are no fewer than 4 other puppies jumping around at my feet.
Dude says, “What’s up?”
I point to the puppy, who is now gobbling…something…off the floor. “He’s what’s up, Dude, and I figure we’re up to about $20 in cat food. And I have breakables, and this is simply not acceptable. What are we going to do?”
Dude gets up, spilling his bowl…of what?…on the floor, and rallies the (20+) kids (okay that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m trying really hard to effect an emotion here). “Okay, everybody grab a dog! Grab a collar.”
And seriously, it was like a zoo. Funny thing was, no one said a word to me. Not a word. Even as I went on about how my dogs would likely kill their puppy if this continues. After 5 minutes, I excused myself, with yet another verbally expressed expectation that it cannot happen again. Then I went on to continue my (fully and eagerly) anticipated Friday evening.
And then Frank showed up. Remember him?…
Long story…to be continued…