It all started out well enough when I walked the dogs on Monday. I was strolling along, listening to a sermon on my iPod while the dogs roamed off-leash. But the warm spring breezes made the young dog extra bouncy. In his over-excitement, he was jumping on me and trying to start wrestling matches with the old dog, so I had to stop listening to the sermon, take control of him, and put him back on leash.
We continued on well enough until I slipped in a big patch of gooey mud and fell. I’m not sure it was the pup’s fault, but I’m blaming him anyway. The bottom half of me (front side, anyway) was covered in mud, but I wasn’t hurt. Let me tell you, however, that the rest of the walk home was not much fun.
But I made it here, cleaned up, and all was well. Or so I thought, until Tuesday morning when I decided to finish listening to my sermon. I couldn’t find my iPod. First I looked in all the places I’ve been known to leave it, working my way down to all the places I would never leave it. Then I thought back to the last time I’d had it: the day before on the dog walk. Had I dropped it when I fell?
I took the dogs for another walk right then and we retraced our path from the day before, but alas, no iPod. So I went home and reconciled myself to having lost it forever.
After supper the phone rang. “Hello,” a young woman said. “My name is _____. I don’t know if you remember me, but I used to read your blog. Anyway, I think I found your iPod while I was walking on the trails last night.”
“I looked at it,” said she, “and saw all the theology stuff.”
Yep, the iPod I’d thought I’d lost forever is back, good as ever, despite spending some time outside in the slimy mud. I’m thankful, then, that God who watches out for sparrows watches out for iPods too. I’m thankful for an honest young woman who did the work to find out who that iPod belonged to. I’m thankful for blogging and that people know me through it.
I’m thankful for the beauty of the bush where I walk the dogs. I’m thankful for spring weather and bouncy pups.
I’m also thankful that the tax preparation mess that I stewed over last week is all nicely solved and I’m getting a refund.
On Thursdays throughout this year, I plan to post a few thoughts of thanksgiving along with Kim at the Upward Call and others. Why don’t you participate by posting your thanksgiving each week, too? It’ll be and encouragement to you and to others, I promise.