The kindness of strangers....

It's been a crazy, busy week around here. I think I have spoken to our realtor more than I've talked to Jeff! (Thankfully, we love her and she's a lot of fun to chat with!) However, since I have no qualms about getting on here and whining (ahem...), I figure that it's only right to also share the small blessings that have made this hectic (but happy!) week a little easier. It's so nice to know that there are still some good and kind people in this scary world of ours.

First, because last Monday was Sydney's 13th birthday. we stopped on the way to work to get her a Dunkin' Donuts Boston Creme donut. (She has been a mother's helper for my boss' wife on Mondays and Fridays this summer.) We were in and out of the store quickly, and as I was walking into the office, the phone rang. I picked it up and looked at the caller ID, wondering why Jeff was calling the office and not my cell phone. After I said hello, he said "Do you know why I'm calling you on the office phone?" I quickly said "Yes, I left my phone in the car." "No" he responded, "you left it at Dunkin Donuts and some guy who works in Reisterstown just called me and said he has it if you want to go pick it up."

Of course, I immediately went down the street and picked up my phone. The man (boy!) who had picked up my phone, which I had left on the counter, had called my mom (the last person I had spoken to) to try to track me down. She then called Jeff and he called me at the office to go get the phone. Mom said he was so nice and polite. He told her "I know if I had left my expensive cell phone somewhere, I would want someone to pick it up and call me." My mom suggested that he leave it at Dunkin' Donuts for me to pick up there. But he kindly told my mom that he didn't feel comfortable leaving it and he would be happy to take it with him and I could pick it up later.

Now, I am ashamed to tell you, that when I first laid eyes on the guy, I was a little taken aback. He looked more like the kind of guy who would take my phone and enjoy running up the minutes, if you know what I mean. But, boy was I wrong! He was so kind and so polite. I thanked him profusely and let him know that he had made my day. His thoughtfulness helped me avoid a huge headache in the midst of an already-crazy week.

Secondly, on Tuesday afternoon I took all three of the younger kids for their dental check-ups. We have recently switched dentists because of insurance issues and so this was our first visit to Dr. T. I had brought the kids' dental records with me and soon after Sydney went back for her cleaning, the hygienist came out and said Dr. T wanted to talk to me. Very kindly, he then told me that, according to the dental records, Sydney had had three teeth pulled a few months ago. However, he could see that only one tooth was actually gone, and I was sure that only one had been pulled. Dr. T suggested that I call the previous dental office and ask them if I had been charged for three extractions. Interestingly, a few days before, I had received a $788 bill from the previous dentist, which really surprised me. But in all the confusion of the past week, I hadn't given it much attention.

As soon as we got in the car, I dialed Dr. B's office. Finally I got through to a human and asked her about my bill. "Oh yes Mrs. VeStrand" she responded "there are actually several mistakes on your bill. We've had quite a few problems with our bills from that month. I've adjusted your account and your balance is now $280." I almost jumped out of my skin! They had never caught (or at least never told me about!) a $500 overage on my bill!! Yikes!!!! And I might never have caught it either if it weren't for Dr. T's suggestion. I will be sure to thank him when I see him on church on Sunday!

Finally, this afternoon at nearly 4 p.m., our realtor called to say that she needed a cashier's check by tomorrow for our good faith deposit on the new house. Because our closing is so soon, they will not accept a personal check because apparently there isn't enough time for the check to clear, etc. I raced to the bank, wondering if I was going to make it in time to get the check. As I hustled into the lobby, one of the tellers, who I have gotten to know over our years here, was just finishing with a customer. I walked right up to her window and explained the situation. She was gracious enough to do what I needed even though time was limited and the whole process was a bit complicated. She wrote the check and now we are all set.

Each of these things has been a good reminder that while God cares about the BIG things, like buying and selling a house, he also watches over the little details of our lives, like lost cell phones and dental bills. I'm thankful for both!