Miracles of Passover

Today I want to talk to you about the miracles at Passover. Oh, not the ten plagues or the parting of the Red Sea, but the miracles that surrounded us in Tamarac, Florida. (To be honest, just scratching out the time to share with you lately is a miracle in and of itself!)

Each year, for the last nine years, I’ve hosted a Seder. The first in 2008 had about 24 people in attendance. That number grew to nearly a hundred a few years ago, but in recent years the room I rent only holds 60, so that has been our limit.

Now every year I get last minute calls to see if there is still space at our table. I don’t believe anyone should be turned away for the celebration, so I depend on God to make room where needed. But usually, we hover around 50 a week or two before the event.

This year two things happened: the room I rent went way up in cost, and there were only 24 of us committed to gathering. So what to do? Pray for wisdom.

I live in a tiny two-bedroom townhouse. We’re talking 1072 square feet! But with God’s help and wisdom, I’ve hosted dinners for 16 and 24 before, so why should this be any different?

Well…

Did I mention I get a lot of last minute calls? Did I also mention that a few weeks before, at Purim, I hosted a costume party and the a/c quit working? And the last time I had a sit down lunch where I used my back porch covered in plastic, it kept falling down and the a/c (while working) just couldn’t keep up with all the body heat and outside heat of south Florida? And parking at my place is challenging. And while I have a lot of chairs and tables, it wasn’t nearly enough for more than 24 people to have a sit down dinner? And I have a small, one-counter kitchen.

Only counter in the kitchen

And my job has grown to a time-sucking monster…AND the grandson had to work that day until 6pm…AND the kids just weren’t getting along…AND my porch leaks whenever it rains and this is spring in south Florida?!

But God.

But God showed me the way. So in just 2 days time, the kids and I (yep, they not only got along with each other, but were a HUGE help) transformed our combo living room/office/dining room into a dining hall for 36!

Furniture gone

Tarp and curtains up in porch

I found an inexpensive party supply rental company that delivered and picked up. My oldest son suggested I use a tarps instead of plastic (so I could screw in through grommets instead of using heavy duty velcro. Turned out it was cheaper (thanks to Harbor Freight). My friend, Baruch, is an a/c guy and he came the day before to top off the refrigerant in my a/c and told me to turn down the temperature the night before to the low 60s. It was cold, but it worked! The temperature in the house never rose above 70.

As expected, it rained most of the day, but the porch roof never leaked. And while there were about 16 cars transporting guests to the event, everyone found a parking spot!

My grandson got home just after 6, so he had time to take a quick shower and change before our guests arrived. AND when they came, we were ready!

Lina feeling good about our accomplishment

The evening was wonderful. Everyone was comfortable; no one felt cramped. And best of all, my tiny kitchen that pumped out the food was also able to hold the dirty dishes!

No, there wasn’t one huge, awe-inspiring miracle. Instead, the day was filled with a series of seemingly small miracles that ensured my heart that God was with us as we celebrated His Passover. It was a day of joy and peace.

And there is one more miracle. God made the time this morning so I could share this with you. Be encouraged my friends. God transformed an impossible situation to a room filled with joy and gladness. He works in the everyday moments of our lives because He is always a good, good Father.