This was a particularly trying day from the moment I woke up. From a parenting standpoint, it ranks up there as one of my toughest yet. From a pregnancy standpoint, it wasn’t terrible, but a few physical limitations made it less than great. From a logistics standpoint…yuck. So at just shy of 3pm, when I was toting our very two year old toddler home from Grammy’s new house, after a day of errands and with a charlie horse still lingering in my leg from 6am, I sent up a plea. Every time I pray for patience, I feel a little bit the fool, but this is what came out, loud and clear,

“Lord, you’re going to have to give me an extra dose of patience this afternoon or I’m going to lose it.”

It’s always good to demand something of God, right?

We made our way home, and in the meantime, I got a text from our oh so sweet neighbor across the street. I called her back and she said she just wanted to drop something off to me quickly. We met in the driveway not five minutes later. And what did my discerning and prayerful and absolutely lovely neighbor bring by? Well, these:

amazingly yummy homemade cookies.

And even more perfectly in the moment, these:

patience.

I took one look at the attached tag and started to cry. Seriously? Had I not just begged God for some miraculous dose of patience, maybe ten minutes earlier? Our neighbor just hugged me and stood there in the most understanding way. Was I really crying at the drop of a hat? Indeed. It was as though God had just reached out and said to me, “I hear you, my child. And I have you. Hang on.”

I explained what had happened, and my neighbor affirmed that God had laid the virtue of patience on her heart as she was praying for me. Praying. For me. That in and of itself is a more than beautiful thing. On the opposite side of the note, she had written, “Molly, Here is a little reminder that I am praying for you today, as God grows the fruit of patience in you.” I am so humbled by her obedience and openness to the Lord!

A few years back, I began praying for our block and neighborhood, asking God to surround us with people we would build relationships with–people who loved the Lord, too, and who would be on board with making our small corner of the world a better place. I’m not sure my prayer could have been answered with more kind, sincere, or spiritually sensitive people. What a crazy-amazing blessing!

The day has not gotten a whole ton easier since this afternoon, but my ability to withstand it all has changed. The refreshing reminder in the midst of the storm was what I needed to buckle down and try again, and to give the day my best. I’m still working at it, but I think a little progress has been made. And the gorgeous flowers and chocolate chip cookies haven’t hurt a thing, either. They’re still cheering me on even as I write this–coloring up the dining room table and reminding me that God continues to see and hear and answer.

humbled by His grace,

mm