Giving Thanks for Blessings

Some background info: every month, I need to fill out a calendar that shows that I’m actually doing something with my life, then send it in to my case worker so that my family can still get my fraction of government benefits. I need to send it in by the fifth of every month, but it needs to be sent out at the end of the previous month so that it gets there BY the fifth so that I don’t get a “sanction.” Before I can send it, though, I need my professors to sign it, validating that, yes, I have been going to class.

I forgot to have my Tuesday/Thursday professor sign my paper yesterday. That normally isn’t a problem, because I can just have her sign it on Thursday, but this Thursday is Thanksgiving and the college is closed for the rest of the week. So I freaked out a little bit and rushed to school to see if I could catch my professor and have her sign it, even though she’s usually not in her office when I’m not in class (meaning, I usually don’t see her on Mondays and Wednesdays).

I was already on my way to school when I realized that I forgot to pack a protein bar. I have fifteen minutes between my classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I don’t have time to eat a real lunch or stop to get food. I knew I had a handful of almonds in my backpack, so I figured they would have to tide me over till I got home.

Since I knew my professor usually isn’t in her office when I’m out of class, I figured I would have to email her when I got to school and ask when she would be available to sign my calendar. I pass her office on the way to the computer lab, so I took a quick peek in when I passed.

She was there!

I ended up interrupting an audio recording that she was doing, but she signed my calendar anyways cuz she’s just awesome like that. (Then she put a sign up outside that said “Do Not Disturb.”)

So that solved one problem. I still didn’t have food, but I was still planning on having my almonds. However, when I finally made it to lunch time, I knew that they were not going to be enough. I knew my professor always has pretzel sticks in her office, so I decided to run by there and see if she happened to be in her office again.

On my way there, I passed a bake sale. They had “cuties” (mini oranges) for 25 cents. So I bought one. And then, my professor was in her office again! (And NOT making a recording!) She gladly gave me two pretzel rods, and she even gave me an apple and a granola bar. I was only searching for something that would hold me over until I got home, but by the time my search was over, I had enough to eat then and there, and then some.

For me, nothing other than “miracle” describes my entire morning/afternoon. My Tuesday/Thursday professor is never in her office when I pass by on Monday/Wednesday, but she was there TWICE today. I got my calendar signed and I got food (more food than I needed). Although I will admit that my professor is awesome for signing my calendar for me and giving me food, I’m giving God the glory for one, giving me such an awesome professor, and two, allowing me to catch her twice when I needed to, even though odds said that I wasn’t going to see her.

I kept thinking of the Bible story about the little boy with the loaves and fishes and how Jesus took something so small and blessed it so that He could provide for all those in need. This stuff didn’t just happen in Bible times – it still happens today.

No matter how unlikely something may seem, no matter how hopeless or desperate a situation, God is never going to leave you alone. He’s always going to be looking out for us, whether we’re driving on the road during a snow storm, facing unexpected crises, or just looking for a quick snack to tide us over. He’s always going to provide whatever it is we need – and then some.

This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to think of all of the ways God has blessed you over the year. Really think about it. Then take the time to tell him thank you.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Molly