Boomerang Prayers

For the last month or so, I 've been signing off all the emails I send with the phrase "May your day be filled with unexpected blessings." Maybe it's because I've been seeing and saying that phrase so much, but lately I've been seeing so many blessings!

The other day I was in line at the McDonald's drive-thru. I'm there a lot - so much that I'm on first name basis with the woman at the payment window. I'd been so busy preparing for all the Holy Week events leading up to Easter and trying to get two weeks work done in advance so I can go on vacation with good conscience that I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed. As I waited for my change Patsy was reacting to the demanding customer ahead of me saying "How can anyone be unhappy during Holy Week? 2000 years ago our Lord was on his journey of love and redemption. There is so much to be joyful about!" I said to her, "Please pray that for me, Patsy. I'm so tired and there's so much more to do." When I pulled away she was already praying. What an unexpected blessing! As the day continued one blessing followed closely upon the next - a worship team member said she'd take care of worship while I was on vacation, a friend sent an email with Erma Bombeck's reminder to take our blessings where ever we find them.

I told my spiritual director about this and several other recent experiences with unexpected blessings. She said that my email prayers for others were acting like boomerangs coming back to bless me.

I plan to keep praying that prayer. If nothing else, it helps me recognize the unexpected blessings in the ordinary occurances of my day. May your day be filled with unexpected blessings.