One appeared to me in the form of a friend named Amanda. There I was, doing the grocery shopping thang at Meijer with my girls (boys were in school---I'm not neglectful in that way!). Noel wanted to carry her snack with her.
***As an aside in regards to the snack*** I heard from my friend Julia at church awhile ago that she brought along a snack when she went grocery shopping with her young kids. When they purchased a particular item (in our case: milk), then it was time for the snack. This my friends is a brilliant idea. First-the kids have a goal. Second--it keeps them occupied for the rest of the shopping trip because they are eating their snack. Third---I don't end up breaking open a box of crackers. Finally----it has been used as leverage. For example: "you need to stop touching the clocks or you are going to lose your snack." or "If you try to pick out the dead fish from the tank again you are going to lose your snack."
So, Noel is carrying her snack and skipping along, as she rarely walks. She almost runs into a cart as she is distracted by all the Halloween candy. The snack bag breaks open and her snack, minus one gummy bear, three Cheerios, and a Craisen scatter all over the floor. So, I have a daughter crying (wailing is more like it), snack mix all over the floor, and a woman who things she hit my kid with her cart. After assuring the woman that she did not in any way hit Noel, I turn my attention to the messes: Noel and snack mix littering the floor.
Amanda flies in. She must have as she is the angel in the story. She does three amazing things for us. First, she offers to watch Penny so that I can console Noel. We step aside into the clothing racks and have a heart to heart. Second, Amanda gives Noel a dollar. A whole dollar! She suggests that Noel, with her mommy's help (see--she is an angel to add this to the equation) pick out a new snack while we shop. Finally, she sends me on my way and announces that she is going to find someone to clean up this mess.
I'm on my way. Noel picks out some bulk cookies which she shares with her brothers without my even suggesting it. The mess is cleaned up when I return to the front of the store with a cart loaded with food. It was a good trip.
I don't see Amanda again. I hope God gives me the opportunity to play angel someday. For now. . . thanks to God for sending my dear friend Amanda at exactly the right time.
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