God showed up randomly again, and it was in the most unexpected way.
Dave and I were given two off days for the month (perks of being a married couple on the Race), and we decided to celebrate a belated anniversary in Scotland. Our plan was to take a train to a nearby port city, spend the night, then get up bright and early in order to catch the 7:45 ferry. Everything was going quite nicely at first. We spent the night in a glorious guest house (I could write a separate blog on how that reached my soul, but another time) and got to the ferry by 7:30. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to us was the regulation that you have to be at the port at least an hour early to check in.
We were not pleased.
We determined that the best course of action would be to head back to the guest house in order to desperately try to get a few more minutes of sleep. Dave hoped for the best but was doubtful of this plan as we had already turned in our key. I was praying for God’s intervention in this department or I knew I would have one cranky husband on my hands for the morning.
God did intervene, but it wasn’t how we anticipated.
First, He made His Presence known to me by appearing in the form of a deliciously friendly and love-seeking cat. This is the first cat I’ve seen this entire month, so I was delighted and promptly plopped on the ground in order to soak up this precious moment. A few minutes later, God showed up again.
He was wearing a floral shirt, glasses, and had uncombed hair and a sweet Irish accent. He was also a woman. She approached us from across the street and mentioned that she knew we were good people because of our behavior toward the cat (it pays to be addicted to furry things with tails and long whiskers). She then invited us into her home for tea and the chance to meet her cat. We were intrigued by this woman and gratefully accepted her generous invitation.
Now, to be perfectly honest, I was enamored with this woman from the start. She wandered around her home half speaking to us, but talking more to her cat that swung about her legs. I knew I was looking at my future. Dave was also pleased with her, but had some doubts about her sanity. She claimed that her name was Annette and that her husband, Jim, would be home shortly from taking the dog for a walk. Apparently Dave doesn’t think that if you love and talk to cats you can have a husband or a dog. (I find that quite interesting). Fortunately, he was wrong and Jim soon arrived home with their dog.
At this point you’re probably wondering how Annette could possibly be God. If the story stopped here, I would still say that He showed Himself through her. Dave and I were tired and frustrated by missing the ferry. We were going to be stuck in a sleepy town that wouldn’t wake for several hours and we had nowhere to go. Annette kindly took us in and seriously brightened our day. She is a warm patch of sunshine and has a heart-warming and outgoing personality. She was able to lift our moods through her chatting and her genuine hospitality. Her husband, Jim, was also a charming man with a wonderful sense of humor. They spoke to us as old friends and encouraged our journey on the World Race.
But the story doesn’t end here, and neither does Annette’s generosity.
She recognized the amount of time we had before the next ferry, had no plans of her own, and decided that she wanted to show us around the countryside. Annette took us for a three hour car ride around the infamous glens of northern Ireland, pausing to point out particular sites of interest and arranging for us to take photos. She stopped in a picturesque seaside town in order to purchase ice cream cones for us, then drove along backcountry roads so that we could have a view of both the coastline and the hills.
When our time with Annette stretched farther than planned and we missed the next ferry, she invited us back to her home to enjoy the Sunday dinner that she had cooked for her children and grandchildren. She filled our plates to heaping with traditional Irish cuisine, including three delectable kinds of potatoes, and ensured that we were filled to our brims.
Annette and Jim showed true generosity in a form I rarely see. They did not hesitate to invite in two foreigners who just happened to be outside petting a cat. They welcomed us into their homes and their country. They filled our physical needs with food, and our emotional and spiritual needs with uplifting conversations about the goodness of God. They made it clear that we were as much a blessing to them as they were for us.
We left humbled. We left with a personal example of how we should treat every person we meet. And we left with a beautiful picture of what God looks like when He wears skin.
“Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people…” Galatians 6:10a
