“Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”  Genesis 28:15-16

The library book was lost. I was sure I had taken it to my car but when I got to the library it was nowhere to be found. Back home, searching for it, I remembered; I’d laid it on the car trunk before walking off to do something else. I realized that the book was riding there when I drove to the library. Certainly it had fallen off!

That evening, contritely, I went back to the library, reported it lost and offered to pay for a new one. However, when the librarian looked in her records, she saw that it had been returned and was no longer checked out to me. I could hardly believe it. We agreed that someone must have found the book and returned it on my behalf.

What a gift!  My heart sang with delight. This was a holy moment in my day. I am reminded of Jacob, being assured of  God’s abiding presence declaring, “Surely, God is in this place and I did not know it!” For with him, I was awakening to unexpected grace.

Prayer:  Lord, help us to awake to and appreciate those moments when we are blessed with unexpected grace.  Amen.

Deaconess Diane Greve, Minneapolis, MN