The Kitchen Delivery
January 6, 2023
In the early sixties my parents rented a bungalow for the summer in Woodbourne N.Y. The colony consisted of a small group of struggling Holocust survivors. The close knit crowd and pure crisp mountain air attracted them back yearly. The Pirkei Avos Shuirim my father gave on Shabbos was an added treat. As the families grew, some expansion took place. The bungalow next to my parents, then became available, which my in laws purchased. For my family it was a pleasure, being able to visit both sets of grandparents at the same time. For the rest of their lives, summers were spent in KBW.
Decades later, some of the bungalows were transferred to the children. My in laws bungalow became mine.
It was an old bungalow, which required some refurbishing.
Ordered a simple kitchen, well in advance of the summer season, to insure a timely installation. Due to Covid, delivery was seriously delayed till June. We asked the supplier to inform the trucking company to call twenty four hours prior to delivery. It did not happen.
One day the trucker arrived unexpectedly at our deserted bungalow colony. That’s when he first called to advise, that he was ready to unload the kitchen. Obviously no one was there to accept the delivery. This scenario was exactly what we had tried to avoid. Can imagine our shock. Finally the cabinets arrived and now there was no safe place to store them. Neither the contractor or manager were around. A real dilemma, or so I thought at the time. Surley couldn’t afford to send the trucker away, after waiting so long for the delivery. Having no choice, I took a risk and asked him to place the cartons on the porch. In the meantime I tried to get in touch with the contractor, hoping he would come over right away to inspect the merchandise and put the boxes in the bungalow. Called and called, but there was no answer.
Then for some unbeknown reason, as he was ready to leave, I asked him to check the front door. Maybe I thought, the contractor left the door unlocked by mistake. Hard to believe, but that is exactly what happened. The contractor forgot to lock the bungalow. Problem instantaneously resolved. Merchandise was placed inside the bungalow, secure and protected. Pure divine Providence. Hashem put the cure in place before the dilemma even started. Knowing that the trucker would not make the prior phone call he was required to make, Hashem had the contractor inadvertently leave the bungalow unlocked. Then placed the idea in my mind to ask the trucker to check the door, for the improbable possibility that it was left open. Hashem literally orchestrated the whole situation to work out in our favor. My plans did not work out, but Hashem’s plans worked out perfectly.
This is what Dovid Hamelech said to Hashem, “there is nothing to fear, for you are
with me”. Orchestrating all the moves of all the players, so that in the end, all the parts of the puzzle fit perfectly. Its really humbling to observe Hashem’s caring intervention in our life.