When Maples Bars Becomes Miracles ...

Yesterday was quite an amazing day.  I preached Sunday morning at a church I had never been too and the presence of Jesus was so sweet and many of us wept as His presence gently moved throughout the service.  After service I wanted to bring my Dad some donuts, simply to bless him.  My Dad loves donuts, but because all us girls, including my mom, are always eating healthy he rarely gets them.  But, yesterday I just wanted to surprise my Dad with something he would love.  Freshly made donuts.  I tried one donut shop and it was closed.  Tried a second one and it was open!  Yes! As I approached the glass case where all the donuts were, I observed there wasn't a huge selection, but what was there looked good.  I thought to myself, "Just get a few - you don't need a lot."  So, I got some of our favorites 2) Buttermilk glazed and 2) old fashioned one plain and one with maple ... I hemmed and hawed over whether to get Maple Bars too, but over a long deliberation I decided 4 donuts were enough and I would just get maple bars another time.  The woman pulls my 2 buttermilk glazed donuts aside and places them in a white pastry box and then adds 1 plain old fashioned and 1 old fashioned with maple frosting.  She then places the box, with the lid open, on the counter.  I look in the box and there laid the 4 donuts I had chosen. The 2 buttermilk donuts cost $1.90 and the 2 old fashioned donuts cost $1.50 totaling $3.40.  As I walk to my car I am excited to present my Dad with a fun little surprise!  As I drive home I wonder if I had made the right decision in bringing home donuts, as none of us really should be eating donuts, but decide I made the right decision.  I walk into the house and find my Dad sitting on the couch reading the Sunday paper.  Upon requesting his attention, I whip out the white pastry box and I begin my spiel about how I just wanted to bless him, simply because I know he loves donuts and doesn't get them much.  So I thought it would be fun to surprise him freshly made donuts!  He was elated! 

Then, I opened the box.

And there I see 2 large Maple Bars laying on top of my 4 donuts.  I'm speechless.  I'm replaying the events in my head.  I only ordered 4 donuts.  I only paid for 4 donuts.  I saw her put the 4 donuts in the box.  With my own eyes, I saw only 4 donuts in the box before she closed the lid.  I'm sure there were only 4 donuts in that box when I left the donut shop that morning.  And now there were 6.  There they were, two, perfectly placed, Maple Bars on top of my donuts.  They were huge.  I couldn't have missed them.  With wide eyes I looked up to my Dad, who is watching this whole moment unfold, and I say, "God, gave us 2 Maple Bars."  I tell the whole story to my Dad and we both just sit there looking at each other.   As I am telling my Dad the story I hear the Lord say to me, "You just wanted to bless your Father and your Father just wanted to bless you."  


The Lord did this creative miracle simply to show me He blesses just because He can and He loves to do it.  It brings Him pleasure to bless His kids.  When I was at the donut shop I had almost selected the Maple Bars, knowing they are one of my Dad's favorites, but had thought I had enough.  But, then God comes in and gives me 2 huge Maple Bars simply because He knows they are a favorite and we would enjoy them.  There doesn't have to be reason for the blessing and it doesn't even have to be for anyone else to understand or make sense of.   The bottom line is our Father loves to pour out blessing on His kids and He knows our favorites.   

I tell you what, it rocked me.  It rocked me that He gave us 2 Maple Bars just because He loves to bless us.  It just showed me He can give even when it hasn't been asked for and 'maple bars' can be created in a moment.   

As we revelled in the miracle we just experienced, with donuts in hand, we sat back and unanimously  agreed ... "These are by far the best donuts we have ever had."