Golden Nuggets
of Inspiration and Hope

Golden Nuggets are those moments in life when something happens when you just know God is real. As a little girl, my mother and grandmother often pointed out those times to me. Sometimes it was a real rainbow in the sky, giving us the assurance that all was well even after a scary storm. Anything that made our hearts leap with joy or settle into peace were often viewed as messages from God.

In times of trouble, when we feel lost and alone, these moments were especially welcomed. Some people call them God-incidents, those moments when we feel that what happened was more than just a “coincident,” for what occurred might seem nearly impossible. Everyone has these stories. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of them. That is why I included one at the end of each chapter in Rainbow Remedies for Life’s Stormy Times. Following is one of those stories:

Mom rarely spoke, due to Alzheimer’s, so Dad and I spent most Saturdays visiting with each other that year following the deaths of Ken Sr. [my husband] and Richard [my brother].

One warm August Saturday, as Mom slept on a couch inside, Dad and I sat outside on a deck overlooking the pond behind my house. I was chatting away when Dad’s eyes grew big. “Don’t move,” he whispered. “There’s a hummingbird hovering at the corner of the deck.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” I said, laughing. “That’s my friend.”

Dad sat in amazement as the iridescent little bird flew close beside me. A minute or two passed as Mr. Hummingbird hovered nearby, watching Dad watch him. Then it zoomed off into a dogwood tree. “I’ve never seen anything like that. He wasn’t the least bit afraid,” said Dad.

Hummingbird drawn by Heather Bare

“I think Ken sent him,” I said, then told him the story of Mr. Hummingbird’s first visit shortly after Ken’s death. With my little friend’s visit, a door opened to share other coincidental happenings in each of our lives. As we shared, I learned more about my special stepfather and about myself. Until his death, Dad and I spent many hours reminiscing about past happy times, as we created new ones.

An excerpt from Rainbow Remedies for Life's Stormy Times - Copyright © 2002 Joanne K. Hill

If you have a story you’d like to share, please e-mail it to me. Put “Golden Nugget” in the subject line and give me permission to publish it on this Web site. Be sure to add your name and copyright date. If you’d like others to correspond with you, let me know that also; otherwise, only your name and copyright information will be printed. Thank you for sharing.