The Miracle of the Mattress (or Chinese Chanukah)

Clarks again... [as if the title didn't give it away]
I just thought it might be a good idea, in this current cultural climate of fairness and equality* -- and since, after all, we just celebrated 30 Years Of China's Reform And Opening-Up Policy** here in the "motherland" -- to share with you a brief personal story that I think captures the spirit of that other major, religious, winter holiday*** quite well.

God's providential care touches us all at many times and in many ways, some no doubt more amazing than others. Depending on your definition of terms and/or theological slant, you might call these occurrences "miracles" or maybe not. But, there's no denying the fact that we've all seen some pretty cool things happen when we least expected it.

Like, a few weeks ago when we went out to buy a new mattress pad for the bed:
When we moved in here, all we had on our bed was a box spring. Period. Which (you'll know if you've ever tried it) is not very comfortable to sleep on by itself.
In the guest room was a futon couch/bed. So, being the highly adaptive creatures that we are, we figured out -- after like only 2 or 3 painful nights -- to take the futon mattress and use it as a bed pad on our main bed. Smart, huh? So, we were going along fine, until...
Wei comes over for yoga, you know, and she had seen that we were not using the futon; we had the frame out on the porch, as a matter of fact -- to make room for yoga class. So, she had this guest coming to stay with her family and asked if she could borrow our futon [which, since she's the landlady, you know, is really hers anyway]. I didn't have the heart or guts to say no; to explain that, although we aren't using the frame, we are actually using the mattress. In fact, it's the only thing that allows us even the moderate level of comfort we struggle to enjoy night after tossing-and-turning night. I just said OK, she can keep it, no problem.
In fact, I even helped carry the whole contraption down the six [or 11, depending how you count 'em] flights of stairs to the bottom of our apartment building -- straining my back something awful -- hauling away my only hope of happy rest.
So... fast forward. It's a couple weeks later; I'm hurting. We know we are about to move, so we are trying to hold out. We think -- if only we can make it -- maybe the new bed will be better. But we just can't take it; we've gotta get a bed pad for this thing!
And so, we went off to the store to have a look. But, what we didn't think of was to measure the bed. China, you see, doesn't have King and Queen and so on -- too many feudal connotations, I guess -- instead, they use metric measurements, as in 195 centimeters long by... Well, we weren't sure how wide. And since we're dumb Americans, 150, 170, 180, 200 centimeters -- it's all the same to me.
But we figured it out pretty fast, using another favorite American way of thinking: just buy the biggest one! And so, we bring it home, put it on the bed, and...
"Wow, there's like a foot or more hanging off the side!"
"That can probably be tucked under."

Yes, we'd bought the 200, when it turns out our bed is only a 150.
Well anyway... I'm sure you're thinking this story sure doesn't sound like a miracle. But wait!
The very next day [or maybe it was later than that, but for the sake of drama...] we finally got to see the new apartment, which we'd never seen before, mind you. And... Lo and behold... what size do think our new, future bed will be... or, is I should say...?
Yes, it's a giant 200cm master bed -- that's hard as a rock -- there's literally no mattress at all!
And here we'd just bought this seemingly stupid, over-sized bed pad!
Wow! I mean, doesn't that make you want to light a menorah candle!

Seriously, we thank God every day for His wisdom and providence.
I encourage us all to do so.

May He bless you this day and tomorrow.****

FOOTNOTES:
*I say this tongue in cheek; although, we should of course and always show respect and love for others.
**Even though we didn't personally participate, there were actually big celebrations on campus and around the country. And hey, if it weren't for this poilicy, we wouldn't be allowed here!
***If you don't know what Chanukah / Hanukkah is all about, then it's probably time you googled it.
****Amen.