This story is only a few months old, and it happened to my wife when she was still pregnant with Gracie. My wife is a part-time music teacher at our kids Catholic school. Well, the school was looking for a new kindergarten teacher, and my wife recommended our neighbor/friend from a couple doors down who is both Catholic and credentialed. Anyways, our friend got the job. This story happens on the start of the year retreat for the teachers.
By the end of the first day, the returning teachers had gotten to know the new kindergarten teacher, but they were still curious. One way or the other they had heard that the new teacher had had bariatric surgery (and later surgery to remove excess skin) and was missing a belly button. This is definitely a curious thing. My wife, our neighbor and two other teachers were all driving together to the retreat on the second morning. They were starting to walk up a set of stairs when out of the blue, one of the teachers asked about the reported lack of a belly button.
Now, no one has ever asked to see my belly button so I don’t know how awkward the moment was, but it must have been awkward. Awkward or not, our neighbor stopped and shared claim to fame with her new colleagues. This must have taken only 10 seconds or so, but it was enough. Just as they started again to climb the stairs, a lady in the parking lot above lost control of her car and plowed it through the pedestrian area at the top landing. If they had not stopped for the story, people would have died.
I thank God that my wife and new daughter are with me today.
So why share these? I had in my mind that such things did not happen to me. But over the past week all three of these events came to my attention. These aren’t water into wine miracles, but I think they are miracles none the less. They show me the extreme fragility of life, and what is important. They show me that God is watching out for me and my family. They make me ask for what purpose we have been spared these tragedies. God has a purpose, and it will be revealed in proper time. These incidences remind me of that.
