Michael and I have been awestruck at how God moved us to Vancouver from beautiful Quadra Island in July of this year. Despite our declaration: “We will never move to Vancouver!  last Christmas in the car inching along for two hours from the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal to our family in the city, we have been marvelling at and talking about the blessings of being here adinfinitum. 

Howevever yesterday I was struggling. We had just enlisted a new family doctor who on our intial meeting seemed very impersonal. Now I was on my way to his clinic to attend to some hives that were appearing all over my body. I had lived with them thinking it was the clorine in the water or ant bites I was reacting to. But when I woke up in the morning with two big blotches on my face I panicked and headed to the bus stop.

Once there I settled on the bench remembering a very difficult first trip to the clinic on this same bus with Michael in a wheel chair and the frustrating time trying to get his staples out on his broken leg …red tape and run around. How blessed we were to have had our friendly attentive Quadra doctor. 

While I was sitting there looking down at my feet a sweet voice said: “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it!” I looked up surprised, to see a little old round face smiling at me. “The bus will be here shortly” she said, nodding towards the digital sign doing a bus arrival count down. 

“Yes, it is!” I replied …. this was like Quadra Island where you greeted and talked to everyone you met.

“It is God who controls the weather.” She said eyeing me and pointing up to the sky “Do you believe in Him and He’s there?”

I said: “Yes!”and right then tears began to run down my face. Her sweetness and faith were melting my pent up anxiety. I quickly assured her that they were tears of happiness, the bus arrived and she motioned for me to board first. I walked down towards the end of the bus until I found a seat. 

“Why are you going to the end of the bus? I wanted to sit by you and talk some more.” 

“Oh!” Familiar island friendliness again. We  sat together and chatted about our children (she has 6 , two in heaven). We talked about Heaven and our hope in Jesus. The tears were still running down my eyes. At my stop she patted me on the shoulder and said: “Your going to be all right … keep looking up!”

And I did. I walked into the clinic and in the room our new Dr. smiled at me and examined my spots with kind eyes. I think we have a future with him, the hives are healing and I will always remember the little old angel God sent to remind me of His presence and care for me just when I needed it most.