Unexpected and Unwanted Guests...Blessings in Disguise

Hello friends! Hurricane Dorian has left the Low Country of South Carolina and life is returning to normal. Well...as normal as can be expected for us since Alan and I had to move unexpectedly and quickly. We received notice via email that the home we were renting was being sold and we needed to move. First, worry set in and then, we remembered to pray. We should have prayed first but our emotions got the best of us for a bit.

Praying and more praying. God listened. He already knew His answer. God provided a brand new home for us about three minutes away from the previous home. We keep in touch with wonderful friends from the previous neighborhood and are making new friends here. There was no need for worry. God knew what He had planned for us.

Following the path of "It's Always A Story With The Henderson's", of course, one of the first events in our new home was to deal with a hurricane. We did not evacuate. Some neighbors stayed while other people left town. The winds howled and whipped trees and street signs through the air. Heavy rain beat the windows causing us to wonder if the glass could sustain such pressure. Praying for all affected by this terrible storm. People here and people in other areas.

The hurricane was an "unwanted guest". Not "unexpected". Weather forecasters had alerted of the approaching storm.

New neighbors and friends from the other neighborhood texted, called and checked on each other. This scary hurricane brought people closer together. Friends and strangers helping each other. "Blessings in disguise". Help putting up storm shutters, businesses offering free items to first responders, neighbors helping neighbors.

Moving past the hurricane, we were ready for beach service at Sunrise Presbyterian Church on Sullivan's Island SC. Our church offers the special worship time when the tides are safe and there is room on the beach at Breach Inlet.

Last Sunday, bright sunshine warmed everyone while we watched dolphins jump in and out of the ocean. Seagulls and pelicans flew overhead appearing to try to listen to the music, sermon and prayers.

And then... an "unexpected" visitor. Our church welcomes everyone to worship with us, but this was a different kind of visitor. At the beginning of service, a huge pelican flew overhead and landed right in front of the pastor. The pelican sat for a bit and listened and then, attempted to help preach by nipping at the pastor's toes. Calmness prevailed when a person in the congregation quietly walked to the pelican, reached down and closed the beak and carried the bird to another section of the beach. I had to laugh because the woman appeared to be reprimanding the pelican.

The pelican was not going to leave. The bird had made the decision to attend church and so, at first in the front of the congregation, then, sitting in back of the group of people, this pelican sat and watched.

Laughter was brought to us through a pelican. The hurricane had been scary and had brought back memories of past storms. Hurricanes are "unwanted" guests. This pelican was an "unexpected" guest.

God gives us times to laugh and times to heal from storms in life. Have you found any "unexpected" and "unwanted" guests to be blessings in disguise?

I wonder if the pelican visited the beach again looking for the crowd of people worshipping the Lord. :-)

Look for ways to find "blessings in disguise". Let us know what you find.

Have a blessed day,
Mimi