365 WORDS...ONE WORD AT A TIME...WELCOME TO AUGUST!

Wow! I may have picked the absolutely wrong day to stay out after my doctor appointment. The weather forecast can be wishy washy at best and because the sun was still shinning brightly after my appointment...I pressed on...but let me back up a bit. First thing this morning I left 10 minutes later than usual but I was still within the 2 hour time frame I allow myself to travel. However the bus didn't come and when it did the driver said the one I thought I had missed, didn't even come because a train was stuck on the railroad crossing blocking the way. Coincidence...not in the least. Because of the skipped bus or buses, (there was a bit of confusion about how many had been skipped),there were way more people to pick up and thus way too many stops. The usual 20 minute commute to the train station took 35 minutes. Then I had to wait 10 minutes for the next train and when it did arrive it was in slow mo mode. Occasionally Marta does not allow the trains to go full speed...today was that day. The 20 minute trip took 35 minutes if you add in the wait time. I am thinking by now that there must be a lesson in here somewhere. I was quite patient and I commented to the Lord that if He wanted me to go, He would have to get me there on time. I had wanted to cancel but didn't and in the back of my mind I was thinking maybe I should have. When I got to the station where I have to transfer to another train...it was right there waiting...never happens...God answered my prayers. When I arrived to catch my bus...it was waiting as well. I had whispered to myself...Lord if you really want me to go...the bus will be there too. God answered although it wasn't a prayer just a passing thought. My fleece. The bus driver even let me off closer to the doctors office although technically that stop was closed due to construction. I arrived 5 minutes before my scheduled appointment which was 15 minutes earlier than usual...of all days. There was no plausible way I could have made it on time...but God. Then the receptionist promptly forgot me and didn't tell my doctor I was there until 11.47...47 minutes late. Was my morning commute disruptions a coincidence? I don't believe so. After my appointment I missed two buses, one while I was trying to cross the busy street and the second because I went into a market to avoid the 20 minute wait in 90 degree plus heat. The two different buses came about 10 minutes apart. Because I had plans afterwards I wanted to stick to them. The sky became very, very dark while I was waiting for a shuttle bus. By the time it arrived it was drizzling and had started thundering. A few seconds later you couldn't see anything because of the heavy rain and the pitch dark. People getting off the shuttle would scream and run and people getting on were drenched and freezing because of the a/c. I had brought my raincoat in my backpack so I put it on. When I got off the shuttle with 2 other women to go into Ikea...the parking lot was flooded over our ankles and worse yet it was lightening and thundering so much that I prayed the whole way across the parking lot which was far. The other two girls, both under one umbrella were ahead of me. One was nice enough to share hers with the other but I won't use and umbrella when it is lightening. I was soaked where my raincoat didn't cover and my feet...well it was almost as if I had brought the rain indoors with me...it wasn't on the floor just in my shoes. An amazing thing happened though...I had FUN! I PRAYED, I BELIEVED God. I even faced my FEAR of that horrible storm. I felt STRONG, I felt INVIGORATED! So what should have been the worst possible day ever...God turned it all around and it worked out for my good. When I arrived back at home it was sprinkling a little but the sun was shinning. I had to walk through more water but my feet were already super wet so it didn't mater. To think, when I left the house in the morning I had coping with the late afternoon heat on my mind. I had even brought water with me which I never do, just so I would stay hydrated. When I got home it had dropped from the mid 90's to the low 70's. (72) I was also thinking I should not have carried the raincoat when it probably wouldn't even rain. God order our steps and sometimes those steps take us on an amazing adventure. Today was one of those days!