Unexpected Blessings at an Unlikely Place

Really, there are no unlikely places to receive a blessing.
But at the state fair?
I guess I was more than a little caught off guard.
And it all started with a funnel cake.

James decided that his first foray with the delightfully healthy fair food would be with a funnel cake.
Fair food in it's finest, right?!
When he walked up to the window to order, he noticed the fella running the booth was reading
a book on theology, one that James has read & enjoyed.
Course, from that, they struck up a conversation & spent a few minutes talking about the goodness of God.
As he handed James his funnel cake, he told him to hang on for another one ...
he wanted to give him a second one for free. 
It fed several of our friends who just happened to be getting to the fair & had walked up at just the right time.

The second little bonus blessing came just a few minutes later.
James, sweeted out on the funnel cake, decided to buy a bottle of soda from a machine
that was just inside the horse barn.
You know how it is at the fair ... expensive!!
For a family of five, the cost of food & drinks can add up ... & add up quickly!
The soda machines are a cheaper route, so James put in his money.
Low & behold, out popped 2 bottles!!


But I have to say, the icing on the cake came a few hours later.
We'd been at the fair for several hours.
We'd been through the barns, watched the Wild West Show, & we were just meandering along
trying to decide what to do next.
James had bought a large cup of iced tea & had passed it along to me.
Somehow, amidst my animated talking & gesturing, the cup slipped right out of my hand,
spilling out all over the ground!
Almost before I could even pick it up, a lady in the food booth that we were standing in front of
hollered out to me & said, "Here, let me refill that for you!"
I said, "Oh no, it's ok ... we didn't even buy it here, plus it was almost empty anyway."
She insisted, "No, please ...I'd like to refill it for you!"
I declined again, repeating that I hadn't purchased it there, etc.
She kept insisting ... & I kept declining ... & back & forth we went.
Finally, my friend spoke up & said, "Stop arguing & let her refill it!!"
So, as I got to the sweet lady to hand her my cup, she said, "Are you a Christian?"
I told her I was & she told me she was too.
She said that she & her husband run the booth ... he saw me drop my cup & told her to refill it.
After she had refilled my cup & came back to the window, I was expressing to her how much I
appreciated their kindness & super sweet spirit.
I told her that I was a 'giver' & have a hard time being a 'receiver'.
She said that she could tell that about me.
She went on to say that every day, she & her husband look for someone at the fair to be a blessing to ...
to encourage ... and she said, "Today, it's you, my dear."
My eyes filled up with tears ... & hers did too.

Amazing, isn't it?
God uses all kinds of people ... in all sorts of places to show His kindness.
People living out their faith in day-to-day life ... being salt & light.

I felt so happy in my spirit ... it's kind of hard to put into words.
My favorite scripture & a song comes to mind:

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
Psalm 68:19

Blessed & highly favored...
daily loaded with benefits ...
that's the kind of God I serve.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18