CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON -- The Moral of the Story

“Don’t ever say we have no opportunity to reach people. It is not that

the chances are missing, but we are missing the chances.”

-- Charles Guillot

God often uses music to get messages through to me. Several weeks ago

I started feeling sorry for myself when it rained on a day that I wanted

sunshine. Fortunately my grumbling was cut short when I heard a song that

kept repeating the phrase, “In my life, I’m soaked with blessings.”

I looked outside and watched the rain bounce around my soggy lawn.

Then I thought about my family and friends, and how much my life really

is soaked with blessings. The gray clouds didn’t go away, but my gray

mood did.

The next Saturday it started raining just as I headed out for an

errand.

“Don’t worry God, I’m not grumbling,” I said out loud. “We need rain,

and thank you again for all my blessings.”

Then I started singing with the CD in my car. I stopped for gas, and

when I started up, the same song started over. My CD player didn’t start

where it left off, but back at the beginning of the song.

I realized I was singing the same song over again. I was almost to the

end of the song when I stopped at a stand to buy fresh strawberries. Sure

enough, the same song started up again when I started the car.

I thought about the words I was singing. One phrase was “God, every

brief encounter that you send my way is a chance to show your love.”

I had trouble finding a parking place at my final destination. I

regretted waiting until the last minute to buy a wedding gift. When I

asked where the gift registry was, a young girl told me it was broken.

The man next to her told me I could look it up on the Web on my computer.

“But I’ve just driven all this way,” I said. “Can’t you look it up for

me?”

“No,” answered the girl while popping her gum. I started feeling a

little annoyed. Then the words of the song echoed through my mind, and I

said a quick prayer asking God to help with my attitude. I smiled and

noticed her necklace.

“Your necklace is beautiful,” I said.

“Oh, thank you. It was my grandma’s,” she replied, a bit startled.

“Grandmothers are pretty special people,” I said. “Mine were sure a

blessing.”

Then she actually smiled and added, “Yeah, a blessing. Hey, I just

thought of something else. Let me make a phone call.”

I thanked her and followed her to the counter.

“I’ll try to have a list faxed here,” she said.

I asked if she’d had a busy day. “It’s been insane, everybody is in a

hurry and acts like it’s my fault that dumb machine is broken,” she

answered. “You’re the only one who smiled at me.”

Unfortunately the fax didn’t work, and I drove to another store while

hearing the same song once again. I didn’t do the greatest job showing

God’s love to the young girl. I just pray that I was able to send some of

His smile.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.