Waiting in the grocery store checkout line, I entertained myself by skimming over a pictorial history of Kate Middleton’s dresses in “People” magazine. While Ms. Middleton’s a lovely young woman with beautiful clothes; there’s hardly a way to describe my activity and make it sound worthwhile. Bottom line for my spent line-waiting time = wasted.

 

A young store employee interrupted my dress review and told me that he could check out my groceries in a different line. He then said that he knew I didn’t want to waste my time waiting (perhaps he’d noticed what I was reading); and that he’d read a study that reported the average American, by age 60, has spent two years waiting in lines.

 

I responded with something like you’d better be thinking positive things, instead of grumbling, while standing in line or you’ll have put a lot of negative into your life while you wait.

 

Then I left the store mulling over what he’d said—two years sure is a lot of time; and I can honestly say I don’t remember a single one of those dresses. I have, however, been thinking about better ways to use my time in the checkout line; and this came to mind:

 

 

Never stop praying.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

 

Not a complicated directive; more like straight forward non-ambiguous. So. That’s my goal—use line-waiting time as a trigger to prompt me to talk to the Lord.

 

I remember when “The Hiding Place” was released—a movie about Corrie ten Boom’s punishment in a Nazi concentration camp for harboring over 800 Jews during WW11. It amazed me how the horrors she lived through, and the miracles she saw, strengthened her faith in the goodness of God. I love her experientially pragmatic and ever-so-wise words on prayer:

 

Don’t pray when you feel like it.

Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.

A man is powerful on his knees.

 

And so, I would add—is a woman standing in prayer in a grocery store checkout line.