Manna from heaven...

I was chatting with my Nana the other day and we began talking about the ways that God has blessed us in our lifetime. From seemingly large gifts of love to small acts of kindness we shared our blessings with each other. What a beautiful way to connect with the ones you love.
She shared a story that she has told me numerous times, but this time I saw the blessing differently than I have in the past. When my grandpa was 33 he had his first heart attack. Living in southern Ohio, there was no intense research for young men with heart disease. They traveled to the Mayo Clinic hours away in Cleavland to seek surgery and treatment. As a young mother of 5 children it was heart wrenching for her to leave her babies for such a long period of time. My dad, the oldest, was 13 and the youngest was 1. Financially, my grandparents were going through a rough time. My grandpa was the breadwinner and my grandmother nurtured their little clan of children in the home. When they arrived at the Mayo Clinic, they were graciously welcomed by family friends who allowed my Nana to stay with them while my grandpa was in the hospital. God had blessed them richly by the christian friendships, the warm bed, and the food that was provided. My Nana was so grateful and yet her heart ached to hear the voices of her babies. She had been gone for months and she needed hear their giggles and laughter that filled their home on a daily basis. Long distance calls were very expensive and she didn't have the money to stay on the phone long enough to talk to eat child before the pay phone would cut off. One day at the hospital, she found a quarter on the ground. She was thrilled at the thought of having a minute or two to connect with the loves of her life. When she put the quarter in the pay phone about one hundred quarters came rolling out of the coin return! She cried out to God and thanked Him for the blessing if allowing her to hear her children's voices more than once a week! She described the event to me, saying it was like "Manna from heaven." For the remainder of her time at the Mayo Clinic, she called her babies everyday and she was able to speak to each of them. Even the seemingly smallest blessings can provide more joy than we may ever know. How beautiful to see God's grace and mercy come to life in a pay phone. Whoever says miracles don't happen obviously hasn't met my Nana.