When we woke up this morning, I told Kirk that I would love to go out and have some sort of adventure. After all, he is taking 10 days off to be on "holiday", and now is the time to make the most of it! It took us awhile to come up with an idea, but we eventually decided to head to Portobello beach, and that ended up being a better plan than we expected...
The beach was lit up by the sun (a rarity, as you already know), and there were loads of families lining the promenade, still beaming with holiday cheer. It made me happy just being in the midst of it! I was pleasantly surprised to see that the coffee houses and restaurants were open, considering that today is Boxing Day (a holiday originally marked by generosity). Some would consider this day to be like a second Christmas, and I like that concept a lot, considering my aforementioned "sad face".
It only seemed right after our 30 minute stroll to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and some soup at The Beach House restaurant. The only problem was that the place was packed, and there was nowhere to sit. The host noticed us waiting for a table, but somehow all of the families who came in after us were given a seat first (that's not the generosity part I was referring to, ha). We were eventually seated at a large table that already had a couple sitting there. At first I thought, this is super weird. Why would they put us at a table where people are already seated? Well, we chose to sit at this table, because we knew it would be awhile to get another table, and maybe we could make new friends. That is actually what happened.
This lovely couple, Ann and Brian from Manchester, embraced our awkward situation and immediately initiated the conversation. I was relieved to know that they were talkers, because it helped not make things so odd. We chatted the entire meal about their experience in the states, their views on health care (yes, people have opinions about ObamaCare here, too), and their family. They gave us great advice about enjoying Micah and remembering that she needs our time more than she needs our money (I'm glad, because ministry makes people so wealthy). Their kindness was evident in the way they randomly offered to help us out if we need anything during our stay here, gave us some new coffee shops to try out, and surprised us at the end of the meal with a card with their number on it, and a surprise free lunch. I just sat there drop-jawed at the whole situation. I remember my mom (and several others) prayed specifically for someone to be like a stand-in Gramma while we are here, and Ann even emphasized that she is an "experienced grandmother" who is ready at any time for a cuddle.
I'm pretty sure God had something to do with this day. I am amazed at His provision and kindness toward us. We could have sat around all day and stared at the wall. I could have stayed in my "sad face" mode. We could have turned this into a chore day, but what God had for us was better (as it usually is) - meeting wonderful new people, who we know love Him, and who genuinely express His heart towards others. That's Christmas, right there! I'm so grateful for Ann and Brian, and I have a feeling we will be seeing them soon.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Happy Boxing Day, too!
It only seemed right after our 30 minute stroll to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and some soup at The Beach House restaurant. The only problem was that the place was packed, and there was nowhere to sit. The host noticed us waiting for a table, but somehow all of the families who came in after us were given a seat first (that's not the generosity part I was referring to, ha). We were eventually seated at a large table that already had a couple sitting there. At first I thought, this is super weird. Why would they put us at a table where people are already seated? Well, we chose to sit at this table, because we knew it would be awhile to get another table, and maybe we could make new friends. That is actually what happened.
This lovely couple, Ann and Brian from Manchester, embraced our awkward situation and immediately initiated the conversation. I was relieved to know that they were talkers, because it helped not make things so odd. We chatted the entire meal about their experience in the states, their views on health care (yes, people have opinions about ObamaCare here, too), and their family. They gave us great advice about enjoying Micah and remembering that she needs our time more than she needs our money (I'm glad, because ministry makes people so wealthy). Their kindness was evident in the way they randomly offered to help us out if we need anything during our stay here, gave us some new coffee shops to try out, and surprised us at the end of the meal with a card with their number on it, and a surprise free lunch. I just sat there drop-jawed at the whole situation. I remember my mom (and several others) prayed specifically for someone to be like a stand-in Gramma while we are here, and Ann even emphasized that she is an "experienced grandmother" who is ready at any time for a cuddle.
I'm pretty sure God had something to do with this day. I am amazed at His provision and kindness toward us. We could have sat around all day and stared at the wall. I could have stayed in my "sad face" mode. We could have turned this into a chore day, but what God had for us was better (as it usually is) - meeting wonderful new people, who we know love Him, and who genuinely express His heart towards others. That's Christmas, right there! I'm so grateful for Ann and Brian, and I have a feeling we will be seeing them soon.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Happy Boxing Day, too!
What a lovely thing, God is so good x
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