Thursday, Coffee and Love 44/366

thank you Janie

Tis February

• the "season" of love
• and heartache
• and frustration
• and loneliness
• and excitement
• and relationship
• and all the other things that have to do with life 

it really is not a whole lot different from any other season
there are those who cherish it
and those who tolerate it
and those who despise it
and those who wish to avoid it or try to ignore it
and if I am honest
I can say I've been/felt all of that-sometimes in a short amount of time 

the doorbell rang this morning
after I got back from chapel,
before I had started doing much of anything
I was not able to answer right away
and hoped whoever was at the door would wait for me to get there

I opened the door,
ready with a "put on smile" (because that's the polite thing to do)
that changed to a real smile-
a friend from long ago who'd stopped by recently
had taken my invitation to stop back by any time seriously 

her first comment was "I had a niggling feeling I should stop by today"
I was glad she'd listened
even gladder that she had time to come in for a visit this trip
she was only able to stay about 30 minutes 
but when she left I had no doubt that I am loved, that I am a priority

after I closed the door,
as I held the special coffee she'd gifted me with,
I began to think of all the ways people have said "you matter to me" this week-

a homemade valentine
a text inviting me to join "the gang"
messages 
phone calls
a song shared
a bag with books and other gifts
a card
hugs
small group lingering

again I say,
don't limit how God chooses to work
don't say "only this", or you will miss blessing after blessing