I can't figure out

There's this book my grandson and I read sometimes--Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It's about a boy whose day wasn't going too well. A day when every little thing was going wrong--

And I believe we can all relate to those "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days" we often have.

My list was made and from the looks of it, the day was going to be busy--lots of things to do, fix and clean--tasks which had piled up--procrastination will do that. And on this day--today of all days, I needed to stay busy. So busy I couldn't think or feel--just be.

First on my list on this sunny Tuesday--the seventh day of March--fix the leak in the kitchen sink. Now I had watched my brother do this. I had the tools and read the directions. It didn't look that hard--not difficult at all. Until I couldn't get the bolt loosened from the pipe to change out the hose that led to the water line. And if you don't know this or never experienced this--if you grip too hard and twist the pipe instead of the bolt--the pipe will break and water will start gushing covering the kitchen floor. I know this to be true.

So there was nothing left to do but cut the water off--call a plumber and head to the hardware store to buy shavings for my next project on the procrastination list. Clean out the chicken coop. On this bad day.

The store clerk followed me out to the car--carrying my two large bags of pine shavings and he said, "I like your shirt."

I thanked him and explained it was one of the shirts my church had designed for our members.

And then he said this, "I can't figure out why He loves me that much but He does."

And I could barely look at him--tears watered my vision--my face. Hindered my speech. I did manage to get a few words out, "He does. He sure does."

I cried all the way home. Both ashamed and grateful.

The kindness of the store clerk---his question--his testimony--he didn't know about the broken pipe nor the flood of water I had to clean up--on this bad day.

He didn't know that nine years ago on this very day--March seventh--my Daddy passed away unexpectedly.

And he didn't know that I needed to be reminded that the message I was wearing on my back was the very thing I needed--on what seemed to me a very bad day.

But God did.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16.