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.

 

 

 

I love watching reunion videos with military mamas, daddies, spouses and even adult children—showing up at unexpected times and surprising the daylights out of the people who love them most.

 

Makes me wonder about the morning Dan ended up in heaven—in the presence of The One who has always loved him best. I do imagine Dan was surprised—not at his final destination, to be sure—but by the timing; a totally unexpected departure and arrival time in our schedules—but not the Father’s.

 

Life still surprises me, but I’m ever so grateful that it never surprises God.

 

I paused for a long minute the day I saw a photo of a sculpture depicting an elderly woman stepping from this life into the next. Walking cane-balanced with arthritic hand outreached to the curtain—then bursting through to the other side; totally transformed—young strong arms stretched forward, no cane in sight, and feet racing to Jesus.

 

Reminds me of Mercy Me’s song “I Can Only Imagine”

 

…Surrounded by your glory

What will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus

Or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah

Will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine…

“However,

 

no one knows the day or hour

 

when these things will happen,

 

not even the angels in heaven

 

or the Son himself.

 

Only the Father knows.

Matthew 24:36

 

“Therefore keep watch,

 

because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:13

 

 

 

(“Come Unto Me” by Jerry Anderson. Bronze sculpture in the Spilsbury Mortuary in St. George, UT)

 

Back in November, Faith Cora and I sowed a small meadow with 12 lbs of Texas wildflower seeds; and then—every time Lowe’s discounted the distinctive blue packages spangled with riots of color—we sowed some more. I lost count, but think we sowed in the neighborhood of 75 lbs.

 

I was ecstatic a few weeks ago when the very first periwinkle blue-shaded bloom appeared; and immediately sent Faith Cora a picture and text message via her mommy’s phone. Now, every time she visits, we explore the meadow she has named Flutter-butter’s Wildflower Surprise Garden. We find new treasures almost every single time—and the best secret to our finding is our hunting.

 

Flutter-butter’s a character in one of the story lines for a book she and I are writing; and Aunt Jessie is our illustrator. Flutter-butter has many adventures with Mr. Ladybug, a little orange-brother-butterfly named Chair Leaf, some awfully naughty baby crows, and Salt & Pepper—the squirrels who race along the fence through the honeysuckle vines. They live in the Woods of Many Colors across the river from Mr. Somebody’s Very Quiet Forest.

 

Faith Cora is quick to insert her ideas and re-direct me in the story plots and lines as I tell them. Sometimes she ends up with a starring role in the adventure; and when she bursts into giggles at particular parts, I know we’ve hit upon a treasure.

 

I’m so grateful that abundant life is permeated with treasures; and I smile to know that God, my Father, knows all about that. Over 2000 years ago, his Son sent me a key to keeping my treasures safe for all eternity:

 

 

 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

 

where moth and rust destroy

 

and where thieves break in and steal,

 

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

 

where neither moth nor rust destroys

 

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

 

For where your treasure is,

 

there your heart will be also.

 

Matthew 6:19-21

 

Because…

 

 

“No eye has seen,

 

no ear has heard,

 

and no mind has imagined

 

what God has prepared for those who love him.”

 

1 Corinthians 2:9