Whenever Tom and I ate at 'Rita's', a breakfast and lunch restaurant in our town, it was busy. The place had been there over 40 years(!) in an old shopping center, the atmosphere felt friendly, the decor, well, dark and blah-ish, but oh, the food consistently tasted terrific.
Then last year the center's powers-that-be decided they needed a hardware store more than Rita's (and the shop beside them) and told both businesses to, basically, get out. Newspaper articles were written, people complained and declared their lasting love for Rita's, but the shopping center won. It all felt so unfair.
Rita's closed. Sigh.
Then some months later during one of Tom's African trips, I drove a back street to yard sales and oh my! There was Rita's. They'd moved to a former bar along a quiet canal and wow, cars were packed into their new lot and all nose-to-bumper across the street. (We've driven past there many times now and it's always like that.)
Dearly-loved Rita's had returned.
Finally, Tom and I ate at Rita's on Saturday morning and their new dining room is prettier and has more light and character than the old one ever had. The atmosphere felt down-home-happy with lots of banter, cheerfulness and old-time (grateful, I'm sure) regulars.
The new Rita's outshines the old one and may this encourage us all when Life suddenly goes all wrong. God can make a way where there appears to be none, a way that turns out more remarkable than if we'd stayed on the same ol' road as before.
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"Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ...Joshua 1:9
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Naomi begins her trip back home today and all prayers for her safety would be appreciated. She plans on taking two days rather than one so she can stop and take a few videos of her playing the drums, something she's been doing lately so to further her music career.
We'll miss her! It always surprises me how easily and pleasantly she fits back into our lives and home.
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Free Kindle Books:
A Fine Mess
Far Country
The Man at the Door
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A special thanks to those of you here and at Facebook who said you hope I don't leave Blogland. I appreciate that much.
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The older, I get the more I realize how true that is, when one door closes a better one opens! Prayers for Naomi's trip!
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the story about Rita's. I echo Elizabeth's comment. Something always opens up if we hold on. Deb, thank you for giving us 11 years of inspired messages via this blog. They have been a blessing to me. May God continue to bless you as you allow yourself to be used as His vessel. I'll remember to pray for Naomi, too.
ReplyDeleteYes! I'm shouting quietly so as not to wake my husband, but these have been exactly my thoughts lately!
ReplyDeleteI should know it by now, after seeing it in my life and others for 72 years but I've always been a slow learner. I haven't read your previous post yet as I've been taking a short blog break but I'll add my plea for you not to stop blogging, if that is what you've been considering. Don't leave, I feel that I'm just getting to know you.
The Jeremiah verse is my daughter's life verse. And He has shown her the truth of it over and over.
Dewena