hi from the corner

I wish I was that mom, that rose early in the morning before the sun was up. Sipping coffee, in my yoga pants that fit perfectly hiding all the flaws. My hair up in the cute messy bun that you see on pintrest. Have you seen ? I have dozens of times trying recreate it , only to finish with what looks more like a sticky bun. Yea fail! 

Often times my morning starts out late , a hat on backwards, a banana on the way out , spilling coffee on myself trying to keep Gracie girls hands out of it and burning my child. My first sane moment of the day is when everyone is strapped in their seats, worship is playing and we are on the way to school. 

Its then I can sip my coffee, gaze at the road and pretty much filter everything out but the safety of the road. 

Except one particular morning I was stopped at the red on the corner of my neighborhood. I have taken that route for two years now never notice the lady with a red visor and yellow vest. I put my coffee down, slipped my sunglasses down and gave a good morning wave.

From then on we became wave friends ,she was my friend the crossing guard and I became the lady in the sequoia. We would give the good morning wave and smile as I passed every morning. 

This past Christmas, I decided to stop and give her a card . I pulled up and barely had time to slip her a card and exchange names before the light turned green . "I'm Andrea" she said. "Monica, Merry Christmas " as I drove off.

Since then there are some mornings sitting at the light I am busy with the day's thoughts that I hear from the back "mommy your friend is waving." 

Today we started our first day of summer. Just after breakfast I got the kids ready and told them we were going for a walk. "It's so early, can't we rest, can't we drive , where we going?" I explained that school was still in for the public school and we were going to meet the crossing guard that mommy waves too. 

Why? Asked Noah. "I don't know son, because every morning we wave to her and I would like to know who see is." Thats weird he said. "Yes it kinda sounds strange but sometimes God calls us to do strange things and I feel in my heart we should visit her this morning.

As we walked up to the light from across the street I hear her say "you are walking today!" I turned to see both my boys hiding behind me. Hahah , and I ain't going to lie I kinda felt like I wanted to hide, and heard the words of my son. "That's weird!" 

As we crossed , we talked how we only knew each other for a distance , I  got to know where she lived, how long she has been a crossing guard etc. Then she turned to me and said, "my sons in the car. He lost his father last week, my ex husband. He is sad, I am too.  

I'm alittle overwhelmed and just trying to keep busy ." It was alittle busy on the corner , I explained to her that I would pray for her , and her son. We exchanged numbers and she asked if she could join us on a walk or hang out  in the summer. 

Absolutely! Sometimes God will call us to do weird things. Sometimes He will put people in our path because He wants us to be His hands and feet. Often times our vision on serving God is so big , we can miss the opportunities to serve him in small ways. Like a little wave in the morning to a new friend. 

These little things can go a long way in someone's life. Would you take a moment today and allow God to use you in a weird way? Will you be open and do something thing that seems crazy. Maybe buy a stranger lunch. How about have a more meaningful conversation other than a "hi " with the person ringing you up at the store.

Or perhaps go out of the way to thank a faculty member at your child's school you never talk too. There is so many weird things you can do... Let be weirdos and see how God can move. 

Today as I walked away from Andrea, she was no longer the lady at the corner. She is a new friend, a friend that has a name. She was blessed that we made the effort to meet her , I am blessed to be able to pray for her. 

Would you mind praying for her and her son Ian. They can use it!