An Unexpected Gift

I came home from work yesterday to find a Chico bag on my dining room table.  Sparked my interest immediately, of course!  Inside the bag were family photographs and a very old book.  Turns out my ex sister-in-law who has remarried found these photographs and thought our family would appreciate having them - and yes we do!

But what I value more than anything else was the book in the bag.  Turns out it is a devotional that was given to my mother-in-law when she lost my husband's father in an accident 50 years ago.  The hand-written inscription on the inside cover is still visible and so loving.

My mother-in-law left us 24 years ago, and holding that devotional in my hands and reading the inscriptions on the inside covers somehow connected me to her in such a personal way.  I felt her pain at losing her husband, I felt the love of her relatives and their need to soothe her anguish.

I miss her.  I haven't felt such a strong personal connection to her in so very long...and I've missed that too. It's as though holding the devotional is akin to holding her hand while wonderful memories of a very special person in my life comes flooding forth in a rush of love and excitement.

I read the devotional this morning along with the one gifted to me by my daughter.  Two generations, the one before and the one after,  both blessing me in such a sacred way!

I will treasure this special, unexpected gift...

Thank you, Lord, truly I am blessed!