The Stand Mixer

"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10

For much of my Christian experience I have drawn hope and peace from this passage.   I could continue  in my walk regardless of the circumstances, knowing that God had promised His hand and plan on my life.  But, while visiting my husband's mother this past month, the perspective changed from hope to faith born out of experiencing God's omniscience.  I will try to explain.

As we negotiated with a GEM couple in Kandern regarding their apartment and furnishings, the wife mentioned that she would be willing to leave her stand mixer.  I had a stand mixer in Garden Grove which I would have to store, so we decided to do a trade.  She would leave hers in Germany; I would take mine to Texas and drop it off when we visited Smitty's mom in Houston.  Little did I know that an intriguing story was unfolding.

We toted the mixer across the USA to Pennsylvania and then south to Texas.  It didn't take up much space, but often I would ask myself if I might have been a bit daft to do this.  When we shared with Smitty's mom, Mary Ellen, and her sister, Judy, where we would be going the next day,  Judy remarked, "That's where my husband was raised!"  The morning dawned and both sisters were dressed and ready to go with us to drop off the mixer.

An hour later we arrived and wandered the streets a bit, trying to reconcile the confusing GPS directions for the town of 13, 000.  As we drove, Judy told us that she had no idea where her husband's boyhood home was located, but that it had an historical plaque on the wall.  After some searching, we located the drop-off home, and Smitty pulled over to park.  Expecting that no one would be there, but seeing a car in the driveway, I jumped out to confirm that this was the place.   As I knocked on the door, a strange look came over Judy's face.  She stared first at the home where I knocked, then peered at the house across the street.

Smitty, Mary Ellen, Judy
See the plaque to the right of the door?

Once I delivered the mixer, Judy said, "That house across the street is the house where Ernie was raised!"  I was dumbfounded.  "What??" we all gasped.   She affirmed her statement; I looked across the street, and there, on the wall by the door, was the plaque she had mentioned earlier.   I took pictures of the three of them, and Judy said, "The house where you left the mixer was his step-mother's home."  You've got to be kidding!  I don't believe in coincidences, but why had this happened?

When we talked the next day, Smitty remarked that God is amazing.  His plan for us and the mixer began long before we agreed to take it to that little east Texas town.  His plan for our move to Germany began at the same time.  Years before either of us had been born a young boy was raised by a woman who lived in a home which would become the home of the couple who would help us to transition to Kandern.  And that little boy would also be the uncle of my husband.  No, I don't believe in coincidences; I do believe in a God who loves me so much that He provides the details of my life which point to His love and care.   He gave us a surprising memorial stone, an indelible picture of how much He knows the plans He has for us.   Surely, I am His workmanship, created in Christ, for good works which God prepared beforehand, and now I am walking in them!