Blessings from the Wal-mart Parking Lot

Yesterday I had the task of going to Wal-mart to purchase snacks and breakfast for our preschool program. Needless to say to those who know me well Wal-mart is a dreaded word in our household. Due to other errands I needed to complete, I chose to go to what we affectionately call the "old" Wal-mart on the North end of town. After two hours of wandering the store to find the items on my list, I proceeded to the checkout frustrated that I could not only find some of the things on my list but that this particular store does not even carry some of the items available at the sister store across town. While the groceries were being scanned the operator carried on with the operator next to her. The only consolation was the other operator did bag my groceries through the conversation. I left the store pushing one buggy full of bags and pulling another about 2/3's full. As I exited the door a group of young adults with t-shirts reading "Joy Christian Fellowship" were passing out bottled waters. As a young man approached with the bottle he walked behind me and placed it in the basket of the buggy I was pulling. Politely he asked to help take my groceries to the car as he began to push the buggy forward. As we reached the curb another young man from the group came and took the buggy I was pushing. While walking to the car the first young man asked me about the Gracepoint t-shirt I was wearing. We discuss our churches as the two young men loaded every bag into my trunk. The gentlemen left me with the words "May God bless the rest of your day." I thought about the witness these boys were leaving in that parking lot. They saw a stranger's need and rushed to try and help with that need. They also wanted to share the love of Jesus while fulfilling that need. While I am perfectly capable of carrying two buggies of grocreries to my car and do so once a week, it was a blessing to have help during a busy Saturday afternoon. I want to challenge myself to be on the lookout for people even a stranger who may need my help. What a perfect example of Jesus these boys were for everyone who was in a full Wal-mart parking lot on a busy Saturday afternoon.

Lessons from the Garden

After weeks of neglect I finally made it around to partially weeding my horrendously overgrown flower bed. Despite the lack of rain the grass and weeds towered over the beautiful pants I had work so hard this spring to accent my home. I wasn't lazy in my weeding responsibilities exactly. I guess busy would be a more appropriate word. There were lots of other commitments to follow: band camp, vacation, getting my classroom ready for school, home visits, and starting school. As I was weeding I noticed all my small begonias had died and my taller plants were struggling for space within the choking weeds. Blisters formed as I pulled grass and weeds up to a foot tall. As I was weeding I wished I had taken a few minutes everyday to stop and pull up the weeds while they were smaller. It was in that moment I thought about how my flower bed could represent our spiritual life. At times we take great care to plant spiritual truths in our life. We water and nurture them until they grow into a beautiful display for others to see. Then life happens. Some of us take the time to stop and pull the weeds while some of us just get plain busy. I didn't mean to let the weeds choke out some of my garden. What I was doing was good and important for others but it left it's mark outside my home. Satan sows these weeds in our spiritual life with the hopes that our business will not leave us time to do the much needed weeding. He will tell us what we do instead is important or we can do it later when life slows down. But just like my flower bed our spiritual life left unattended will leave an ugly display for all the world to see as they drive by the house of our lives.

Why I'm Doing This

For years I have wanted to write. One of my dreams is to write a book and see it through the publishing process all the way to the bookstore shelf. I have so many stories I waiting to be shared. Right now too many commitments eat at my time and my dream is being placed on hold. So I've decided to keep a blog. I want to record my thoughts and observations to share with my readers and hopefully they will share their thoughts too.