We’ve all heard about intuition and “just having that feeling”.  Sometimes we act on this, but more often than not, we ignore it.  Then later we realize we should not have ingnored it.  God was trying to tell us something.

Two weeks ago my husband and I were visiting our family in Ohio.  Our parents live in Northeast Ohio, so we stopped to see them for a few days before heading down to Columbus to see our daughter and son-in-law.  Our parents live about 45 minutes apart, so we usually spend time with each individually.

While I was staying with my parents, I woke up Friday morning to find an email from Panera Bread that I was eligible to get free coffee for the entire month of July.  Awesome!  I’d have to take advantage of that when I got back home.

But as I was getting ready for the day, I kept having “the feeling” that I needed to go to Panera that morning.  My mom had Cheerios and other things I could have for breakfast, but I felt God “nudging” me toward a bagel and my free coffee.  My mom put in an order for a bearclaw for my stepdad and cinnamon roll for her, and off I went to Panera.

I walked into the restaurant and was wonderfully surprised to see my aunt and uncle standing there ordering their breakfast.  (I must say here that when we do our quick trips to Ohio, we don’t have the time to see everyone, and this was one of those times.)  I called my mom and told her that their breakfast delivery was going to be a little late because I was going to stay and have breakfast with my aunt and uncle.  I hadn’t seen them since my daughter’s wedding in February 2015.

We had a wonderful hour of catching up on how everyone was and what everyone was doing.  My uncle has been researching our geneology and told me we actually had relatives in Canada and Scotland.  They told me of how they would like to make a trip to Scotland to meet them some day.  My aunt used to work for Avon Book Publishing, so I told her of how I’ve starting writing my first novel.  She said most of her contacts are probably retired, but if I needed an editor, she’d be happy to take a look at my novel.  We talked of how self-publishing is the way to go now, and again she offered her assistance in any way she could to make my dream a reality.

After we finished our breakfast we had hugs all around and promises to see each other again when we went up to Ohio, or when they came down this way.

Fast forward to yesterday, and I didn’t know how much God’s nudge meant until the phone call I received from my mom last night.  My aunt past away yesterday in a car accident.  As I am writing this, I still cannot believe it.  We will soon be heading back to Ohio to say goodbye to my aunt and to support my uncle and three cousins left behind.  No amount of comfort and words can ease their pain, but we will all gather around them and support them as best we can.

My aunt was the youngest of six children.  Two of my uncles had already passed, and she said to me on that Friday that she felt it would be her responsibility to look after all of us cousins and keep us in contact with each other as her older siblings began to pass.  I know that most of us will be together to say goodbye to her this week, but I’m sure this “contact” is not what she had in mind.

So, for now, I hold on to the fact that if God had not “nudged” me to go to Panera that day, I would not have had a wonderful breakfast with my aunt and uncle.  Rest in Peace Aunt Jetta until we meet again.