Heaven Sent

It's snowing in Minnesota. Actually, it's been nothing but snowing for almost a week. It looks lovely, but it makes getting out difficult.

After suffering from Cabin Fever all week, snowing or not, our cupboards were officially bare and I had to go grocery shopping. With Mark in the middle of finals, Luke and I went out alone, and on the way back faced the chronic problem of bringing in grocery bags. Parked in front of our apartment I began my trek of grocery bags with baby in tow. This is always difficult to do as I have to climb up about twenty stairs, unlock a door, go up another five stairs, open a door, and then walk down the hallway and unlock another door to get into our apartment. It's even more tricky when your baby is wearing a slippery jacket, your bags are heavy, and you're walking on the street because the sidewalk is a complete snowbank.

Although I manage this task many times a week, I know that I looked especially pathetic trudging through the snow carrying one bag at a time to the base of the outdoor staircase; back to the car for milk, again for diet coke, yada yada, with Luke slipping a little further from my hip with every step. Thankfully, a young woman asked me for help, and although I resisted a little (no pressure, you know), I was relieved when she insisted. She helped me carry every last bag up to our apartment, and if our floors weren't covered in building blocks and small trucks I would have invited her in for hot chocolate. I was so thankful and let her know how much I appreciated her assistance.


These are the angels in my life. It's not everyday that I'm struck by the genuine kindness of people, but it happens frequently. I'm guilty of dwelling on the awfulness of the world. It's incredibly easy to worry about child predators, terrorists, war, injustice, all of this junk, and to forget that how much good there is left. In some ways we're left to wonder if there's anything that one person can do. I can hardly manage the grocery store yet alone change the world. But, people give me hope. Mother Teresa has a delightful little saying,"We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love." I try to live this verse, if only by default.