My good friend, Siobhan, her funny fast dog Toby (that’s him to the left), and I all went running through Siobhan’s neighborhood in Chuluota the week of Christmas. I hadn’t been running much so it felt good to be outside on a cool morning after much effort to get myself going. We meandered through the streets and then ran down to the lake where we took a stretch break on the dock. I love being in God’s creation. Trees draped in Spanish moss crowded at the banks of Lake Pickett’s quiet reflective water. (Shiobhan’s story spoiler worth including: If you see something on the side of the road, “pickett” up). Before jumping to the conclusion however, I’d like to finish the lake scene by interjecting that I was thankful I had gotten myself up and out the door that morning. It was so beautiful. So peaceful.

So needed.

On our way back through Siobhan’s neighborhood, we ran by a sofa sitting at the end of a driveway. Our initial reactions were the same.

“Hey, do you need a couch?”

As we continued on, the image of the couch lingered in my mind.

“Hey, I do need a couch and that one actually looks decent.”

“Do you want to look at it?” Siobhan asked.

“Yeah, why not?” I said.

We turned around, jogged back with Toby still bouncing along by our sides ecstatic to be running in his big outside world, and stopped to take a look. We circled its perimeter. Examined its arms, back, front. I took a seat. Put my legs up. It felt good. It looked good. It was good.

“It’s yours if you want it,” a voice said from the front yard.

Siobhan’s neighbors had just moved into the house and couldn’t get their white leather love seat through their hallway. Not sure why. But their dilemma turned into my blessing. Although I wasn’t sure how I would get my blessing home, I was sure I could get it through my hallway.

“I’ll take it,” I said with a Toby-ton of excitement. (That’s a lot!) I quickly snapped a photo and sent it to my good friend Sharon. I knew she would be proud of me. She finds all kinds of blessings when she runs. But I was pretty sure she had never come upon a white leather sofa. And sure enough, she hadn’t. She was more than impressed.

Siobhan’s very nice new neighbors delivered my free sofa to her house, where it sat for three days while I strategized how to get it to my place 13.7 miles away. When Siobhan started claiming squatter’s rights, I was finally able to execute delivery to my humble abode.

What do you think?

Moral of the Story:

Couch potatoes do not find free couches.

Cheers to an active 2016!