Dollar Store Blessings

My church only has service on Wednesday nights once a month. Today I was thinking I wish it was tonight. Then Gianna out of nowhere started saying church! So I figured I'd find somewhere else to go to church tonight.

But then later I was reading and the author jokingly talked about spiritual constipation. When you are taking in all kinds of good stuff. Sermons and books and services, filling yourself up with good things, but not really giving any of it back, not sharing the goodness with others.

So I thought hmmm, Gianna and I need to do something to bless others instead of me sitting and getting blessed as I always do.

When I was in the shower, the idea to go to the dollar store and buy some flowers and ribbons and decorate wheelchairs at a nursing home just instantly popped into my head. I give God all the credit!

So I got out of the shower and asked Gianna if she wanted to go buy flowers and make sad people happy and she said yes!

I had Jason pray with us before he went to hockey, and asked God to bless our little adventure, let things fall into place, let the dollar store have cool flowers and ribbon, let the timing at the nursing home work out, and to just really show up with us.

The dollar store had a hawaiian luau isle and lots of pretty flowers and pretty colorful wire flower garland type stuff. I bought about 17 or 18. I figured it might not be enough, but what could I do, I'd tell them we'd come back again if people got left out.

There was a cd of christian piano music at the checkout and I grabbed it. I put Gianna in her carseat and gave her a flower and some ribbon and I started taking the wire garland stuff and wrapping it around the stems, and tying bows on some. The piano music and the front seat full of shiny garland and bright flowers was so fun.They looked pretty but it was kind of taking a long time. I thought maybe I should go home and finish them and take them tomorrow, cause it was already like 7:30.

I told Gianna we were going to go home, but she said Happy, Happy!! I had told her we were going to make people happy with the flowers. So I decided to go then.

I had the nursing home in mind I was planning to go to, but another one I have never been to kept popping into my head, so I went to that one instead.

When we walked in, it was apparent it was music night. In the front room there was a group of people and a woman with a cd player playing very festive sounding music. Gianna and I danced around for a minute and the people who could were turning in our direction and smiling and laughing. I asked if i could pass out flowers and the woman said of course! So Gianna and I started passing them out. She didn't act afraid at all, even though quite a few were hunched over in their chairs and such, she apparently was completely comfortable  ; )

Some of them were asking how much! I said, no, these are just little gifts from God! And they would smile and it was so sweet. All the while that fun festive music playing lol! One guy was like, these are for ME??? for MEEE??? Like he just couldn't fathom it.

I was so afraid we were going to run out of flowers, but I just kept going, and there was just enough! I asked Gianna if we could give the last woman her flower, and she said yes! Little gianna who is always like mine, mine, MINE! Just stood and watched me wire her flower onto the lady's wheelchair.

Then they started playing songs about Jesus! I said to everyone, now I know I'm in the right place! We are here because of Jesus! Because He has been so good to me and given me such joy, I have to share it with others. And some of them laughed and clapped. Gianna didn't want to leave. We danced around for a while more and then we said bye to everyone and promised to come back. That room full of little old people in their wheelchairs with their bright yellow and hot pink flowers. So precious!

God is so good! He gets all the glory. I only try to follow these little whispers I feel in my heart.

Tonight could not have been more perfect. Nothing could have made me happier inside. I drove away laughing my head off in AMAZEMENT!

Oh how He loves us!!!!!!!!!!!!!