Another God Appointment

I had such a nice time during my visit at Gail’s. She has a small cottage she used to list on Air B&B occasionally and she knows I love to stay there when I visit. I need a quiet space to write in the evenings and to unwind from all the peopling. I sleep like a rock over there…it’s so peaceful.

When I finally got up and moving around yesterday morning, I went over to the big house and had my cuppa with Gail and the pups. As I was packing the truck, I told her I was going to stop at The Corner Store because they weren’t open on Thursday. We said our goodbyes and I headed to Downtown East Palestine.

So many of the downtown businesses have closed. Some because of their close proximity to the derailment and resulting fire. Others from the ramifications down the line…not enough business to keep them going. I love The Corner Store. They help the developmentally disabled in the community and that is a cause near and dear to my heart.

The first thing I saw was a beautiful jelly cupboard, much like the one I inherited from my grandma. It was in excellent condition and only $149! I debated back and forth. I sat in the chair next to it and pondered. But my better angels told me I really didn’t need it and I left it there. I did find some good Tupperware pieces that I can use so I got them.

As I carried my purchases to my truck, I looked across the street from where I parked and saw Mama’s Attic. Gail and I were going to go in there on Thursday, but she wasn’t feeling terrific and we went back home. I put my bags in the car and crossed the street. I’ve been in that shop before but don’t really remember who was working there. What I did remember was Gail telling me the owner had testified at the Senate Hearing regarding the derailment and subsequent mess that was left behind. She also told me the owner was calling it quits and moving away.

I was definitely being drawn to that store yesterday. I had that same feeling I got in church that day when the Holy Spirit was moving me to include scripture in my posts. I couldn’t deny it. I just went. There were a few people coming and going. The owner is a young woman who was chatting with her customers and telling them about the shop closing and about how hard it has been since the derailment. I could hear the emotion in her voice as her eyes welled up with tears. She asked for hugs from those who had come to love on her.

I wandered around the shop finding some truly wonderful treasures. I love hand stitched samplers. Often you find them worked on Aida cloth, but I like the ones worked on linen. These weren’t necessarily old, but they were very well done and they spoke to me. There were a couple of angels that really had to come home with me. And, there was a beautiful white birdhouse exactly like one I had on the front porch of my Colorado house. It’s one of the things I’ve always regretted getting rid of. There was a relish plate that matches my Spode Christmas china. Oh, and a brand new Stanley steel thermos…in the box…from the 1980’s. Everything was very well priced and much of it was half off so I felt like I got a real bargain.

As I was checking out, I took advantage of the opportunity to introduce myself and explain my writing and work as a grief mentor. I explained that grief isn’t reserved only for the loss of a loved one. We suffer many losses that cause us to grieve. I felt the flood coming. I told her crying is God’s way of cleaning tension and emotion from our hearts and minds in the form of tears. The tears wash this angst away…bit by bit…and allows us to see the way God is working in and around us.

At one point, we stood with arms wrapped tightly around each other as she finally let go and released so much pent up emotion. We sat between customers and talked softly. I took her hands in mind and prayed for her. I brought her a peach and a plum to help her get some sugar and fluids to replace what she was losing through her tears.

When I finally told her the name of my blog, Lonnie stopped and looked deep in my eyes…her voice shaky. She said, “I have something to tell you and you have to believe me. I swear it is true.”

She is moving away from the area to a house that overlooks the huge fields of a farm. Her sister is having a hard time with her move as they are very close and have always lived near one another. This is going to be difficult for both of them. To reassure her, Lonnie’s sister said, “Just think…you can sit on the front porch with your coffee and watch the marshmallows being harvested!” Some of you may remember how Marshmallow Ranch got its name. It was the summer of 1994 when I took Daughter #1 and her fiancé back to WV to meet the family. While driving through the country, we came across a field of round bales of hay that had been wrapped in white plastic. Daughter #2 was only four years old and she wanted to know what those were. Her sister told her that was a Marshmallow Ranch and this is how they’re grown. Then they’re harvested, cut into little pieces and bagged up for the store.

That wasn’t the only connection. Lonnie has been finding so many feathers this year. At first, she thought they were signs that things were going to be ok. Then she heard birds were dying and was saddened to think these weren’t blessings after all. That’s when I showed her the photo of my collection of feathers that I’ve picked up while mowing and again, the tears came.

By the time I left, Lonnie and I exchanged contact information with a promise to stay in touch. There are some people in this world that we are destined to meet, to help, to share information, to connect with. These are our God appointments. And yesterday…Lonnie was mine.

And…I think I was hers.

Please, please, please keep the people of East Palestine in your prayers. What they have gone through is life shattering. The divisiveness of the nation has unfortunately carried over into this situation as well so not only are they trying to survive…they’re also battling the different factions and politics involved. Things are being swept under the rug. I know that sounds like a conspiracy theory, but the stories I’ve heard are the same information from different sources. They need answers. They need the truth. They need help.