After saying good-bye to the children of Matsiko for the morning, I rushed over the farm. There I found Jennifer and Emma waiting for me bundled under a blanket. It was a cloudy morning--well it was a cold morning by South Carolina standards. The wind was whipping across the field and cutting through her jacket. The weather report indicated that rain could come at some point during the day as well.
Jennifer had a craft fair at the farm and today she was selling her soy candles and lap quits.
As I walked up to her, I carried a fresh cup of coffee in a travel mug and 20 pounds of weights for the canopy that she was sitting under. It was a precarious walk that I made. Emma was holding one of the canopy legs down. Again the wind was strong and as I plopped down the weights I relaxed a bit. "That should hold things in place," I thought.
Emma left to run errands and for the next several hours Jennifer and I greeted people and enjoyed our time together. But like I said, it was cold. . . oh so cold.
Routinely I would have to stand and hold the tent legs from blowing away. The 20 pounds of weights were not enough to keep things in place. I smiled. This was not the worst thing that could happen today. But I could see in Jennifer's eye that she was struggling with the cold. Wrapped tightly in her blanket she tried to make the best of a hard day. She found her gloves in her coat and it helped--some.
Shortly after lunch a woman came to our tent and talked with Jennifer. Upon leaving I witnessed an interesting moment. I could tell the woman was cold--just like us. Her hair was blowing around and she did not plan well to be outside. She walked behind our tent into the field holding her son by the hand.
Stooping down she began speaking with him in a hushed voice. Then, reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of what I thought was a weed. The wind blowing this knee-high yellow flower around. To this day I do not know what the flower was. She showed the picture to the boy and they headed off to enjoy the rest of their time together. Both smiling at what they just did.
It was still cold and within the hour it began to rain.
But in that moment, with a cold wind blowing around all of us, one person chose to see the beauty that was right before her. I guess that is a lesson that we can all learn. I wonder where is the place today that you can find God at work right before you? In the mess and pain of the day, can you see the beauty that is right before you from God?
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