A plain cardboard job that dazzles

It was an occupation my friend had said she’d never do.  The idea in itself simply never seemed attractive.  Even more unappealing was the fact that my friend’s weird relative who connected her with this new job would become her daily co-worker.  Yet upon asking the Lord to provide, it was this one part-time role in home healthcare that landed in my friend’s lap, and as she explained to me recently the intriguing chain of events, I smiled to listen.  From the onset, she didn’t welcome the notion of surrendering her time with her children.  She had been reluctant too to relinquish her love of homeschooling.  Yet importantly, she allowed room for however the Lord might use her to supplement her family’s finances.  And that’s when the cardboard box arrived at her door.  On the outside, it looked plain and uneventful and even unpleasant.  On the inside, some wonderfully colorful shapes and sizes were about to be unpacked.  In the earliest days, my friend realized half of her on-duty hours would likely include sleep time for her elderly patient, consequently allowing her a little breathing room as she entered this whole environment she’d perceived as unattractive.  She soon saw also that her children could travel with her sometimes to help mow the elderly man’s grass or maybe just freshen his household with a sweet youthful grin.  She continues to witness day to day the gradual unveiling of some fascinating facets of this man’s 80+ years of life.  Evidently he did some designing in New York, and he's lived in various parts of the U.S., and still she's waiting for the right time to ask about this steamboat photo she's curious about and perhaps some elements of European history.  Altogether my friend's recent walk with the Lord has proved to be quite scenic.  All from within that plain cardboard box labeled healthcare that figuratively arrived at her front door, a wide array of colorful blessings continues to pour out.  And as all these parts work together under the umbrella of broadened perspective, my friend has been blessed too by the daily association with her particular family member she no longer considers weird.  All the more how I love the Lord for blessing my friend and for inspiring us all with a fresh look at the grace He offers every day.