Iceskating at the Laundry Mat!

I never expected to meet a professional ice skater at the laundry mat.  I woke up this morning not only to the shortest day of the year, but to a cloudy, cold, dreary day.  I've mentioned before how much I like hanging freshly laundered clothes on the line on a SUNNY day.  Well, as I contemplated the four loads of laundry I needed to do today, my thoughts were NOWHERE NEAR sunny.  I could just see us dodging wet clothes in the apartment for the next two days as they slowly dried. Just as I could almost feel the slap of a wet t-shirt across my face, Jim suggested we take the wet clothes to the laundromat to dry. Believe me, I jumped at the chance.

It was a busy day at the laundromat.  All the dryers were in use, but I was sure a couple would come open soon.  As I tuned in to the conversations around me, I realized the two guys pulling dry cloths from the dryer were speaking what sounded like American English to each other. The couple folding sheets together was also speaking English.  The two guys left and I went up to the other couple and said, "I think I recognize your accent, are you Americans?"  "Well, no," they graciously replied, "we are actually Canadians. Aye?" 

So we started talking and swapping stories of what brought us to Leipzig.  Next, a very tall black man came in and heard us and asked if we were Americans.  We all laughed.  I said I was, but that the others were Canadians and that we were all North Americans.  He smiled and said, "I'm 'further' North American.  I'm from Alaska!"  When I asked him what he was doing in Leipzig, he said, "I arrived yesterday and I am a professional ice skater."

OK, now if any of you have been around when I get excited (just ask anyone who has seen me watch a Bronco game) you can just imagine my response when it all come together in my mind and I realized he was in town to skate in the Holiday on Ice show!!!! I gave him a big hug and said, "I can't believe it!  I keep telling my husband we have to go." "Well," he said, "my family is not here and I get a certain amount of free tickets, would your family like to be my guests?"  So, by the time our laundry was dry, we were going to Holiday on Ice for free AND we had invited him and two of his friends over for Christmas brunch, complete with turkey and all the trimmings!  (They skate two shows on Christmas Day, so they will just have to have turkey early!)

So, next time you are doing laundry or just putting on a freshly laundered shirt, take a minute to pray for Lee and his friends, that they will feel welcome in our home and feel a bit of Jesus' love this Christmas.  (And think of me Sunday night, sitting with a big smile on my face, as I enjoy Holiday on Ice!)