Finding a Voice

Yesterday was my lucky day.
One of the luckiest in a long time.
I don't really believe in "luck" per se ...
even so, yesterday fits the description.

It actually started on Thursday evening
when my friend Sherry called from Vancouver
to see if she could drop in the next day and stay overnight.
Someone had offered her a Westjet buddy pass;
could she come?

She came on Friday
with her 20 month old daughter, Evelyn Olivia,
arriving just after 2:00 pm.

This was a big Christmas party weekend at Caronport:
seminary party last night--cheesecake,
college party tonight--hors d'oeuvres,
high school party tomorrow night--banquet.
Sherry came to the seminary party with me.

Concurrent with the seminary party,
just on the other side of the wall & curtains,
was the bookstore's annual Midnight Madness event,
with special guest merchants Ten Thousand Villages.
I ran over to the school between supper and the seminary party
to drop off some Christmas CDs
and stopped in at the bookstore to say hi to people.
While we were chatting, Ken, the manager, came around distributing numbers for a draw.
So I stayed long enough to see if I might win something.
I did, I did! Ken called #27 and I had #26,
and since the closest number won, I got the prize!
It was a book, The Names of the Holy Spirit, or something like that.

I went home to get Sherry & Evelyn for the cheesecake party.
We sat at table 8.
There was a wrapped gift on the table
and we played a game where Debbie read a story and everytime the words "right" and "left" were said we had to pass the gift that direction.
The last person holding the gift won, and I got the prize!!!
And what a prize it was: a plastic pirate playset.
I couldn't decide whether to send it to my friend Lamb in Ontario
or send it home with Sherry for her 3 1/2 year old son Anderson.
I went with Anderson.
Sorry, Lamb.

A bit later, there was a draw for a table prize
and wouldn't you know it -- my table won!
It was a box full of Hershey's Kisses.
So my luck was good for everybody!

Was it luck or blessing?
Whatever it was, it was a lot of fun.

I toured Sherry & Evelyn around a bit yesterday afternoon
and some more this morning,
then drove them to Regina to catch a 12:40 flight.
Whirlwind, but so worth it.

I'm preaching in Avonlea tomorrow,
so better get some sleep!
Here's a link to the sermon.