Confirmations in Black & White, Salt & Pepper, and the Stars

In preparation for our family's first Hanukkah season, I was seeking and studying, looking up recipes, learning about traditional decorations and the like.  This has been a steady occurrence over the last year as each biblical holiday is still new to us.  I learned the story of Judah Macabee and his little band of rebels and the miracle of how they overcame the Greeks, and of the miracle of the oil lasting eight days while the cohen purified the next batch of oil.  I learned about the beauty of dedication and purifying not only the holy temple, but also the temple of our homes, our lives and our bodies.
Of course the story of the dreidl came up, and my son sorely wanted a store-bought dreidl.  He was sick of "doing crafts" and he wanted one like his friends had in Shabbat school.  I searched in every store I was in and because we live in "the rusty buckle of the Bible-belt" I never even saw one.  And time was running out to order one online.  Not to mention the fact that due to several extra expenses in the weeks prior, we really couldn't even afford the shipping.  I needed to find one local, and cheap.  I was stumped.  I actually sat down and prayed, "Lord, we want to honor you and celebrate the holidays that you celebrated.  Help us to have the right focus, and help us to find what we need, for what we can afford, and if you could, a dreidl?"
I considered just making a salt dough dreidl and "suprising" him with it, but I knew he would still be disappointed.  I knew in my spirit that G-d had his own little suprise on its way.  I had his shalom and the assurance that Adonai Yireh would indeed provide.
Later that day a friend called to check in on us as we had been ill for several days.  We chatted about our holiday preparations, and favorite foods, and about being Berean in our decisions.  We both are leaving behind, due to individual convictions, the paganism of the Christmas holiday, and embracing the biblical holidays to the best of our understanding and abilities.  Evaluating decorations, traditions, and the like to see what we like and can embrace as being glorifying to him.  I relayed that, though this year would be sparse, I looked forward to adding to our family's collection of traditions and decorations over the coming years. I have very few friendships of this nature, and these conversations are precious.  We looked forward to an upcoming celebration we would both attend and said goodbye.
The next morning we all struggled to even get going and get breakfast, and slathered on more vaporub.  We finally set down to home school around 11:30.  A few minutes later our doorbell rang.  We were still in our pajamas!  My younger son ran down to see who was at the door and came running back smiling!  "Mom - get down here!"  Our friend walked in and announced that G-d had woken her very early that morning and asked her, "Weren't you trying to simplify?"  She got dressed and went out to her shed and pulled out several boxes.  She packed them and her husband into her car and drove over to our house - about a 30 minute drive.  She came in with arms loaded with hannukiah lights, dreidl-shaped salt and pepper shakers, beautiful latke trays, and DREIDLs!  One for each child!!!  They were so excited, that most of the rest of the school day was abandoned and we started our celebrating a little early.
I went to work that evening, just after our first taste of latkes, and our first Hanukkah blessings.  I was reflecting on the sweetness of our time around our table.  I enjoy praying as I drive, and many times I will just turn off all other sounds and just spend time with Yeshua.  As I prayed, I noticed the stars were extra crystal clear this night because of the cold.  Suddenly from somewhere behind me an incredible meteor shower began, like heavenly fireworks.  It felt to me like G-d was saying, welcome to my Festival of Lights!
And so it was confirmed to me - once again - that we are on the right path.  Seeking G-d in HIS own ways reveals him in ways so much deeper and clearer than our own ways.  After seeking him in the pages of scripture, in the context of his language and culture, and seeing his will in the black and white of scripture, he used his natural world to re-confirm in more black and white. This time it was in salt and pepper in dreidl-shaped shakers, and the sparkling night sky filled with falling stars.
And as the dreidl spins, I am grateful: Nun Gadol Hayeh Shin AND Po!  A great miracle happened there AND here!