Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Expect the Unexpected


Mark 8:18
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?  And don't you remember?

If you have followed "Meditations of My Heart" for any length of time, you know my husband, Danny, and I love living in our cozy house tucked into the forest, and observing all the wonderful creatures who share this space with us. One of our favorite pastimes, featured in a previous post here, is bird watching.

For years, we have purchased bird seed from Costco.  The brand name is Audubon Park, and it comes, plastic-wrapped, in a brightly colored cardboard container.


Forty pounds of bird seed for the modest price of $14.95 just can't be beat.  Best of all, the birds love it!

When we've run low in the past and there's no time for a trip to Costco, I've made the mistake of ducking into Publix for a bag of seed.  Do the birds know the difference?  You bet they do!

What a waste of money that was!

So, recently, as our supply of Audubon Park dwindles, I make the trek to Costco for a restock.  Imagine my chagrin when there is no bird food to be found!  How can that be?  They've always carried it.  Why stop now?

I visit the store later that week.  Still, no bird seed.  What am I going to do?

In a panic, I ask my friends, Sherran and Rob, avid bird lovers, what seed they would recommend using.  It's a mix by Pennington.  The birds go nuts over it!

But, it's prohibitively expensive.  Ten bucks for ten pounds?  When we were getting 40 pounds for less than $15?

"Unless we can find the Audubon brand again," Danny says, "we may have to forgo feeding the birds."

"But, Danny, we can't just stop!"  I protest.  "They've grown used to being fed.  And, here it is, winter.  Where else are they going to go for food?"

"Someone else's feeder?"  he jokes.  "Seriously, call Costco and ask if they've gotten a shipment in before you make a third trip."

Good advice.  I take it.

"Yes, ma'am, we have the 40 pound bird seed by Audubon."

"I'll be right there!"

Trip #3.  Up and down the pet aisle I go.  No bird seed.  C'mon!  What's up with this?  I'm going to hunt up an employee to ask.  This is the last straw!

A kind associate named Cassandra is promoting Kirkland coffee.  As that is our brand of choice, I take it as a sign that she is the perfect person to ask.

"We should have it," she assures me.  "Go along the pet aisle and it should be right there."

"I just did," I sigh, "but, I'll look again.  Maybe, I missed it somehow."

I don't hold out much hope, but off I go anyway.  I want my bird seed!  The Pennington supply is running low.  I love those gorgeous birds at the feeder . . .

Suddenly, a bright yellow, gargantuan stack of bags catch my eye.  Audubon Park!!!  Here it is!  No wonder I didn't see it before.  Their packaging has changed completely!



Gratefully, I hoist the bag into my cart, relieved that it is so much easier to maneuver than the box was.  I head for the check-out, but not without remembering the year of "love", and spinning back to Cassandra to thank her for her help.

And, I get to thinking . . . Aren't there times when we are so used to seeing one thing, expecting to see it alone, that we miss out on the many miracles God wants to show us?  Or, we think God hasn't answered our prayers because we hope He will do one thing when His intent is to do another? 

How we do miss out when we fail to have eyes to see and ears to hear!

~

Are you watching for miracles in your life today?

Please join me in prayer:
Jesus told us, Father, to open our eyes and ears to what You are doing and saying in our lives.  May we be ever mindful, awake, and aware, expecting Your unexpected miracles around every corner.  Amen.

18 comments:

  1. Touching post Martha. You know it has happened with me also so many times that I keep praying for something and don't notice that He has answered my prayer in some other form for I was busy looking for my answer and now what He said :D

    Lovely reminder, needed it today, thanks so much for sharing this story.

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Me! I'm glad I'm not the only one in this department; we've all been there and done that, for sure. May we simply allow it to be a lesson learned and become more aware of His presence because of it.
      Blessings and love!

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  2. Well said as usual. I have done that. Am engrossed with my writing or something that I over look looking around. I have to consciously bring my mind back to the present.:-)

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    1. Thanks for visiting today, Janu!
      That's all too true - as writers, we do become so focused on what we're creating, we fail to notice the things going on around us.
      Blessings and love!

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  3. I found your blog while on another when I saw your comment. What a blessing you are, I will continue to follow your blog, feel free to check out mine when you have a chance. God's blessing on you and your family. In Christ's love.

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    1. I'm so glad you found me, Susan! Welcome! I will be sure to check yours, too.
      Blessings to you!

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  4. Interesting and timely post about missing what's right in front of us Martha. Also, a reminder about how easily we can miss the miracles in our lives. the last couple weeks I had a couple eery coincidences which I immediately chalked up to miracles. they were small things/coincidences as mentioned in the book Godwinks - small reminders from God.

    My friends who heard about the experiences tried to suggest that it was simply a coincidence. But it was so timely, it simply couldn't have been. We see miracles all the time - we just have to acknowledge them :)

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Vishnu!
      Wow! I'm so glad you recognize those little things that bless you as miracles from God. I experienced several just this week, too!
      And, yes, we have to recognize them as such or we miss the message He is trying to send to us.
      Blessings to you!

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  5. Love the prayer Martha and lovely post. Blessings to you and yours and the birds!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Suzy, and for your sweet blessing. :)
      Love and blessings to you!

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  6. Vishnu:
    My belief system, my worldview is that everything is a miracle if we choose to see it that way. Choice/choose is the optimum word here. We all have a choice in what we see and believe. If we choose that life is a miracle then that's what will be reflected back to us.

    Martha:
    As you know (Or should by this time) (LoL) Everything in my life is a miracle. Everything I have, everything I receive on a daily basis is a miracle. Everything is divine. From the breath I take, to being surrounded ny the best group of friends I've ever had in my life.

    These are all gifts from God and I never neglect to give HIM praise for everything HE has bestowed upon me. I always look for new gifts and I always find them because I'm constantly seeking HIM out.

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    1. Thanks for visiting today, Chris, and for leaving such thoughtful comments for both Vishnu and me.
      Oh, yes, my friend, I know how you view the world and, in my mind, it's the only way to see things - all is divine and miraculous, and we should never cease to seek our God in every precious moment, with every breath we breathe.
      Blessings to you!

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  7. Loved the story, Martha - how well you tell one. But more importantly I appreciate the message.
    God speaks to us in so many ways, but somehow we're looking for the 'right' package, aren't we?

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    1. Thanks so much for coming by and for your kind words, Corinne!
      Yes, too often we do just that - so busy thinking about what we want, not what God wants. That's when we miss the mark!
      Blessings and love!

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  8. Thanks for this reflection Martha... I was thinking of this too, I kept on dreaming of two diverse roads and couldn't make up my mind on which path I should follow because something is holding me back...

    Closed eyes or deaf ears perhaps?

    But I know a miracle is waiting for me if I would just acquiesce...

    I think more the 'right' packaging is a 'better' packaging :) We do miss a lot of things when our mind is so accustomed to one thing...

    I pray with you...for greater trust...open eyes... open heart, mind and will...knowing that God will provide for us and all His creatures...

    Lots of love dear friend.

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting today, Melissa!
      Maybe, you are at a point in your life where God needs you to sit back and wait on His timing. Keep praying for His guidance, and I know it will come.
      That's how I felt when it seemed I'd never find a publisher for the book He inspired me to write. How could that be, I wondered? But, when everything was set according to His plan, all fell into place.
      Open eyes, open ears, and open hearts - we need them all!
      Love and blessings to you, my friend!

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  9. What a perfect example! I have certainly done things like this, too. I can't see what's right in front of my face, because I think it looks like something else. As the song goes, "Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me!"

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