It was an “ordinary day” when I headed out for my morning walk. We were living in Arizona at the time. It was in the middle of December, and my morning walks were refreshing, cool and enjoyable, as opposed to the hotter seasons.
I’d often see others out walking, but this day, I was alone (with my little Papillon dog) hustling her four legs in an excited pace. It seemed like she was anticipating a surprise of some kind. The only surprise I was on the lookout for was an appearance of a coyote. They roam our area often, so we carry a whistle and keep a keen observation at all times.
About half a mile from home, it seemed something caught my eye that appeared in the middle of an intersection I was approaching. The closer I got; it was apparent that someone had ACCIDENTALLY dropped a “gift-wrapped” box in this location.
Who would do such a thing? After all, it was an area where cars would pass by. But as I thought more about it, in our area there were more golf carts travelling up and down the streets in the neighborhood than cars. So, putting two and two together, I assumed someone had this gift box on the seat of their golf cart and when they turned the corner, the box slipped off the seat onto the street.
Well, at least I thought that might be the cause. Then again, people do pull pranks. As I came closer, I crossed the street and sure enough there in the middle of the intersection was a gift-wrapped box of Belgian chocolates.
The obvious owner never realized his loss of chocolates in time. I couldn’t just let this nicely wrapped box remain there, could I? And, there was no one there to inquire about its owner.
Another obvious concern was that even though it was December, the sun was blazing its glory on this box, so it needed to be removed before things got messy. I guess you could say I was now in charge of “damage control.”
It’s beautifully wrapped! What a wonderful variety of chocolates, dark and milk chocolates in all sorts of designs. At least that’s what the photo and card on the outside of the package said. WHAT A GIFT!
Well, the truth of the situation is that the Lord directs our steps and He was delighting me with a very “sweet surprise.”
I took ownership and headed home (I didn’t want the chocolates to melt). The wrapping was inviting me to partake of a sample taste. But before I could begin the “grand opening,” the Lord reminded me of someone who could use some “sweet encouragement.”
As this individual came to mind, my first thought was: “Would they enjoy Belgium chocolates? Are you kidding, who wouldn’t. So, I placed them in a safe place, the refrigerator, (as apposed to my mouth) as a holding tank for these delights.
The following day I “gifted the chocolates” to a hard-working yard maintenance man. He was delighted, to say the least. And no, I didn’t tell him where the box came from. Those details could remain anonymous.
Soon afterwards, I got to thinking…..what if they weren’t really chocolates. What if they were a gag gift and filled with something not-so-nice. Oh my, the receiver of the box thought it was a gift from me. So much for my “damage control.”
Well, it was a gift from me all right, but I wasn’t the original purchaser of this product. How in the world am I going to know if this was going to be a disaster or delight.
The following week, the answer came. The maintenance man approaching me with a big smile on his face, so I could begin to breathe easier.
This anonymous “gift giver” was pleased to pass along the chocolates to a well-deserving person; but next time, I think I’ll open the box first…to make certain the candy is authentic. Don’t you think that’s the appropriate way to handle it?
And yes, the photo is authentic!
Cups of Cold Water 