Recently, two of my teammates, Ellie and Amber, met a sweet elderly woman on the bus. She is named after a flower, so we will call her Daisy. She was crocheting hats for kids. As my teammates engaged in conversation with Daisy, she invited them to come learn how to crochet from her at Dunkin Donuts someday.
The next morning, my team had Bible study in our apartment. Our Bible study ran a little late, so we were slightly behind schedule arriving at Dunkin Donuts. However, Daisy wasn’t there. We sought out the Lord’s guidance in how to proceed with our day. Should we wait? Should we go to the craft store to buy crochet supplies? Should we spend time in prayer for Daisy? Amber and I both felt led to wait. So as we were waiting outside the Dunkin Donuts, we got to engage in sweet conversation and community with one another. But Daisy still didn’t come. Ellie suggested that we walk around the neighborhood and see if we run into Daisy. We got the opportunity to explore a new neighborhood, but still no Daisy. As we came to the conclusion that God may have different plans for our day, we planned to head home. But we needed to stop to use the restroom before we got on the bus. We walked in to Dunkin Donuts and guess who we found?! Daisy. She was enjoying her breakfast and coffee, and she recognized us right away. We got to engage in conversation with her about her life, her faith, her family, and crocheting. She even shared that she wanted to sleep in this morning – but she got up to keep her promise to meet us. She had also purchased extra yarn and needles to share with us in our crafting endeavors.
As we headed home, my teammates and I processed the true precision and perfection behind God’s guidance that morning. What if our Bible study had finished on time? What if we decided not to wait? What if we didn’t walk around the neighborhood? What if we decided to wait until we got home to use the restroom? What if Daisy decided to sleep in? Although, I do believe God still could have used us in any of those situations, he chose to orchestrate the exact timing of meeting Daisy to showcase his glory. Friends, I encourage you to lean in to God’s timing and plans. He is good. And he wants to guide us daily.
Please pray that Daisy would believe in the simplicity of the Gospel. Based on our conversation with her, she doesn’t seem to fully understand the simple truth of the Gospel: Jesus died for us, so that we can be made right with the Father. Pray that we can see Daisy again; currently indoor dining is closed in Chicago restaurants, so it is challenging to run into her at the Dunkin again. Pray that God will orchestrate a way for us to talk with her again, possibly in the outdoor seating at Dunkin Donuts.
What a sweet story of a sweet sweet encounter not only with Daisy but with the Lord’s perfect timing! The littlest details make the biggest difference and I love that you guys persist in looking for Him even when at first glance things seem to not work out! Prayers for Daisy and her continued encounter of Jesus’s love and tender care for her life. && Can’t wait to see everyone’s knitting projects!