A bag of popcorn

4-14-09 inspired brain
This blog post will either illustrate that God works in mysterious ways….. or that I am insane.

This experience happened last month on the Saturday I was in KC helping Greg get moved from our apartment into the new house. We made a trip to Kmart to buy a few cleaning supplies and such. On the way there, close to the store, coming in on a side road, we saw two geese in an unlikely place. One was sitting next to the sidewalk and the other appeared to be standing guard. My brain instantly retrieved a piece of information I had heard on some TV show…. The fact that geese, on their migration trips, will never leave a sick or dying member alone. They stay in pairs and watch out for each other.

So of course me, being the acutely sensitive animal lover that I am, I assumed this must be the case. As we arrived at the store, my mind became fixated on only one mission….. I needed to find some food for those birds….. to help give them strength to keep flying north. Greg didn’t notice that I had wandered away, looking over the options. There was parakeet food in the pet area …. Maybe some breakfast cereal would work?…. Or a loaf of bread? We often fed the ducks and geese dried bread at the park on the Cedar River, back in my hometown. I needed to find something inexpensive and functional in case the geese were gone on our trip back to the apartment, and I didn’t want to raise Greg’s reservations on my proposal.

I was about ready to give up and was walking up to the check out counter when I spotted a large bag of popcorn. I grabbed it and set it along side with Greg's other purchases. Greg did question me…."You're eating popcorn"?... And with a silly smile, I sweetly said…. “It’s for those geese… I think one might be hurt”. Greg choose not to press me further…. He knows me well and loves me in spite of all the silly things I do. He did drive us back on the same road and was willing to stop the car to let me out to deliver my aid to the two geese. I happily was dumping the bag on the ground and felt relief when I saw them eating it. But I only gave them half of the bag. I’m not sure why really…. And Greg did question me when I got back into the car- why hadn’t I dumped the whole bag out? The first thing that came out of my mouth without any thought was, “there will be other hungry birds back at the apartment”.

As we were almost back to the apartment a few blocks away, on one of the corners of the Plaza, as often is the case, there was a homeless man standing with a sign. This man, instead of asking for money as most signs do, his said “need food”. As we approached and had to stop at the red light, I said, “I wonder if he would want some popcorn?” To my surprise, Greg actually rolled down the window (he usually poo-poos me when I talk to the homeless and give them money)… but maybe Greg is starting to get use to my routine…… Greg handed the half bag of popcorn out the window and the man was very appreciative and said “Thanks! I haven’t had popcorn in years”… As the man was starting to eat, the light changed green and we drove on….. I don’t know about Greg, but I was feeling that JOY of being used!

Who could predict that during a simple trip to Kmart, I could “kill/feed two birds with one "stone/bag of popcorn?”

God’s mysterious ways? ……Or insanity?
You decide for yourself!