Anniversary Meal

It was the day of our wedding anniversary and Diane and I had decided to celebrate by splurging on a full course meal at a high-end restaurant that evening, a Spanish restaurant near our place that served paella.

In the morning I headed for the drugstore which is a short walk away from where we live. I had done that little trek countless times and almost always took the same route to get there. When I got to the streetlight where I usually cross the street on which the pharmacy is located, I noticed that there was construction on the other side and that the sidewalk was blocked. I therefore had to go to the next corner and cross there. As I was walking in that direction, I noticed a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk. I bent down to pick it up and, to my great surprise, there was another one under that one… and yet another one under that one as well... There were ten of them in all. I felt badly for the person who had dropped that money, but there was absolutely no way of finding out who did.

Later that day, I had another errand to run and, again, I walked along yet another sidewalk near our building. My mind was still on that $200 I had found that morning and the thought popped into my head that it was no coincidence and that God wanted to pay for our restaurant meal that evening. I would have dismissed that as frivolous thinking but for what happened next. I spotted a quarter on the ground. That was not unusual. I have found several coins in the past, but never more than one at the time. This time, though, the quarter was not alone. There were dozens of coins spread out on the sidewalk and the street nearby. I felt as if God was insisting that what had happened that morning was his doing. 

When the bill came after a wonderful meal together that evening, the amount, with tax and tip, was slightly over $200. I could not help but feel that God wanted to celebrate our anniversary with us. Not only that, but he wished to prepare the meal for us, serve it to us and pay for it as well!

I have often felt that providence was at work in our life, especially at a time when, as a young couple, we struggled financially: an unexpected check would arrive just in time to pay a bill that needed to be paid or a perfect home would suddenly be for rent just when we were looking for one. We could feel that God was taking care of us. But this occasion was special. We did not need help to pay for that meal. On that anniversary day, I felt that God was simply showing his gentle, tender love for us and his joy in being part of our life and marriage.