A Little Grace

When I got home from church tonight my husband told me that we had had a visitor about an hour before. She was a young, dark-haired woman, and my husband said she had a dog in her car. She also seemed to know Scout. She asked for "Pastor Roth," but I was at our church's book group, discussing Pillars of the Earth.

She dropped of a gift card for Borders and a nice bouquet of flowers.

The flowers look really nice on our dining room table, and in the middle of the developing pre-refinishing-hardwood-floor mess.

Right now, I can't figure out who the visitor is. It's a mystery, and I can't figure it out. I thought I would look through the church directory, but I forgot to bring one home.

I've been asking a lot of questions, like "Did she wear glasses?" "Was she tall?" I think my husband is tired of me answering questions. I think I need to just let it be.

It's hard though. I can't figure out what prompted this unexpected gift. I want to figure out the mystery.

It's made me think back, though, on gifts I have received, recently and long ago, some large, mostly small.

Three quilts, from the ladies' aids at each of my churches in South Dakota
a quart of fresh raspberries delivered to my door every July.
Deer Sausage, green beans, wild asparagus
a handmade angel
a small Japanese teacup from the town of Hagi
the recipe for Tortellini Soup
three small hand made books given to me by strangers

It's an abundant life, really, if I allow myself to catch a glimpse of it
if I allow myself to open my hands and share it.