Childlike faith is so wonderful and powerful!
We just finished a trip to the store. You know, one of those times that is fine until you get in line. I strategically picked the line I thought would be the fastest. The customer didn’t seem to be engaged in any kind of conversation that the two cashiers were having. (My first mistake was to not question why there were two cashiers.) Then it happened, the customer said something and they all started chatting away and the checkout process became longer. Normally, I force a smile on my face and pray pray pray that I will have the strength to keep my cool. But this time there was a box of “orange dream bars” and “chocolate fudge bars” on the line. I was doing okay, until the transaction was over and it was my turn. The cashier smiled at me and said, “Susie (‘m not even sure what her name was because I was so absorbed with selfishness) will be taking over for me”. I took a deep breath, this could be different than all those other times when the next cashier can’t get something working… it wasn’t. She looked at me and said in horror, “I can’t believe it, I will be right back”. Great, I thought, and started taking deep breaths all the while I imagined orange and brown goo leaking out from the boxes. She came back shortly and started ringing me up, I guess she forgot to log out of the last register. “I’ve never done that before” she said more to herself than to me. I’m glad she didn’t glance up. Still taking deep breaths I forced a smile and said have a nice day when I was done.
Did I mention the reason for going to the store in the first place? A much needed band so that Little Professor’s glasses would stay on his head. Well, you guessed it… it wasn’t rung up. I noticed before we got out of the store. In a rage I went back very upset with Curious George who had been playing with it while we waited in line. Okay… so I did over react. I just hope no one knew me or even paid any attention. I rudely stepped in front of the customer being checked out by Susie and grabbed the band that was sitting to the side of her register and went to another register with no line. All the while chastising Curious George for playing with it, and not putting it where she could see it. Like I said, I was over reacting. We quickly headed for the car and raced away.. well, as fast as we could without running over the car that decided to pull out before me and the family crossing in front of me.
Once on the road, I talked to the kids. “Guys, I’m sorry, but I’m extremely frustrated right now. I’m afraid the ice cream we bought is going to be ruined and I am very frustrated that it took so long. I know I’m over reacting and I’m just really really frustrated.”
Then it happened. My wonderful, faith filled Curious George spoke up. “Mommy, you don’t have to worry because I already prayed. I prayed that if it was God’s will for the ice cream to melt that we would be okay with it. But if He wanted to, I asked Him to make the ice cream not melt. I figure, if He can raise the dead, He could keep the ice cream from melting.” The frustration melted from me, and I said, “absolutely, that was the best prayer you could have said.”
When we got home, after several red lights, (there are only 5 lights on the way home and I think all of them were red) we all rushed to the back of the van and opened the box of ice cream… still frozen. Curious George looked up at me with a smile and said, “I knew God could do it”.
