“There’s something about a holiday that isn’t all about how much money you spend.” Hilarie Burton

Yesterday was one of those days that I felt like I sprinted a marathon. There was absolutely no down time. Most of it involved shopping for Christmas, but there was definitely work, friends, and errands in there as well. It all ended with me remembering I had forgotten to pick up my car at the dealer. I begrudgingly drove to the dealership at 7 pm, braving the frigid temps, arriving just before they closed.

There were only 2 employees at the service department when I arrived. I chatted with “Mary” while the young man retrieved my car. We started talking about the weather but I quickly found out a lot about her life. Her husband had been in a horrific car accident and could no longer work. She works two jobs to make ends meet; one starts at 6 am and the other ends at 8 pm, after which she still has a 35 minute commute home. There was much more sadness to her story that I will not share.

“Mary” wasn’t complaining, as a matter of fact, she was joyful and grateful. She said things like, “My daughter still has her dad, my family has been great, I love my church, etc.” I believe meeting “Mary” at the end of my hectic day was divinely guided. “Mary” reminded me what was significant and what was irrelevant. I hope you have the pleasure of running into a Mary over the next few days, or that maybe meeting my “Mary” was enough.

With Gratitude,
Beth