This post is about nothing and about everything. Just some thoughts I've had lately that I wanted to share. =)
TALKING WITH TABITHA
On Saturday, Tabitha and I had our "Time Out." Heath and I try to take each of the kids out one-on-one each month, alternating whether they go with Mom or Dad. So it was my turn with Tabitha. We went to Frederick and did some shopping. When I go out with either of the boys, we talk, but there are also times of quiet. Not so with my little girl. She kept up a (mostly one-sided) conversation for the entire 3 hours we were out. Here are some snippets of it:
As we're walking into Target:
"Tabitha, you need to stay with me and hold my hand, ok?"
"OK. Mom will you let go of my hand now?"
As we're walking out of Target to the car:
"Mom, is it like Chinese?"
"What?"
"Chinese!"
"Is WHAT like Chinese?"
"The doors!" (said in an exasperated what-is-your-problem-why-don't-you-know-what-I'm-talking-about-tone)
How do you even respond to that? I just don't know, so I said something to the effect of "hmmm."
During the entire drive, she started every thought with "Mom?" . . . As if I'm not the only one in the car; as if we're not already having a conversation. It's almost like it's the end of a sentence, rather than the beginning:
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"What time is it?"
"2:15."
"Mom?"
"What?"
"I like my dress. Mom?"
"What?"
(while looking out the clear window to the bright, sunny sky)
"Is it raining?"
"Do you see rain?"
"No."
"Do you see puddles?"
"No."
"Do you see clouds?"
"No."
"Do YOU think it's raining?"
"No."
"Then why did you ask?"
"I don't know. Mom?"
"What?"
"Is it my birthday?"
"No, not for another 4 months."
"OK. Mom?"
"Tabitha, you don't have to say "Mom" every time. I'm already listening. Just talk. I'm tired of saying "what" all the time."
"OK. Mom?"
silence
"Mom?"
silence
"Mom!
silence
"Never mind. Mom?"
"AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH"
THE PINK AISLE
Since our "Time Out" was supposed to be about her and not me, I asked her what she wanted to look at while we were at Target. She chose toys of course, which is fine with me. I enjoy looking at Lego, educational toys, craft projects, and so forth. But, no. She saw it. She chose it, and there we went: The Pink Aisle. Up until this chapter of my life I have successfully avoided The Pink Aisle. I used to steer happily toward the "blue-er" areas of the stores, avoiding Barbie and Bratz and Hello Kitty and My Little Pony and all the rest. It's not the literal pinkness of the aisle that bothers me so much (though I don't particularly like pink). It's the obsession with glitz and glamour, fashion and fads.
But, into The Pink Aisle I followed my enraptured little four year old. She saw the mega boxed set of Disney Princess Barbies. She had to know each one's name. She saw those little Squinkie things (1/2-inch tall figures of every possible character that come inside a little clear ball and roll around in various machines). She had to examine every piece in the 100-piece display and know their names and know if the one in white was getting married and if that was her car. She had to admire the princess dress-up outfits and find out who each girl modelling in the picture was and if they were going to a birthday party. After what I felt like was an extremely long time to spend in one aisle, I tried to move on, but to no avail. We still had to look at the Littlest Pet Shop and the Ponies and the rest of the Pink stuff. Finally, we moved on. I picked out a toothbrush stand for the boys' bathroom and asked her to hold it for me while I picked out some washcloths. I guess I was taking too long, because I looked over at her, and she was sitting on the floor "pouring" something out of the toothbrush stand. She grinned up at me and said she was having a tea party.
"Do you want to have a tea party, Mom?"
"No, thanks."
"But Mom, EVERYONE is doing it!"
Yes. That's really what she said. Heaven help us when she's a teenager!
REFLECTION ON THE PRICE OF GROCERIES
I have this number stuck in my mind of shopping with my mom as a kid and having her tell me that she spent about $200 every other week to feed our family (8 people). I just spent significantly more than that on this ONE week's shopping for our family of 6, one of whom only weighs 23 pounds! I did buy a pack of pull-ups and some socks and cleaning supplies, but it was mostly food.
I buy generic. I buy in bulk. I use coupons (though not tonight). I use store loyalty cards. I look for sales. I buy plain and simple, nothing fancy. I choose the cheapest version of whatever I'm buying. I don't buy organic. I don't buy name brands. I don't (usually) make impulsive purchases. I stick to my list! I shop at Walmart for crying out loud! What is the deal!?!?
And the worst part is, by Wednesday they'll be complaining that there's nothing to eat.
HEAVEN
My final random thought is the only serious one. And, it's the most exciting one! I've been learning a lot about Heaven lately. Not just about the Heaven where deceased believers in Christ live right now, but Eternity . . . when God creates the New Earth, and we dwell with Him on it forever and ever.
I've had a LOT of Bible training throughout my life and have been a Christian for a long time. And yet . . . somehow I've had a very limited perspective of what Eternity will be.
I always knew God was going to make a New Earth, but I didn't really understand what that had to do with us since we'd be living in Heaven. It's only since reading Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven, and studying the topic in our current Sunday School class that I've realized just how physically real it will all be! I never thought we'd be sitting on clouds strumming harps or anything. But I guess I imagined everything to be very "spiritual" . . . in the literal sense of that word. In other words, I didn't imagine things would be
really physical, even though I knew there'd be houses and food and such. But reading this book has given me a new appreciation and excitement about what eternity will be. It will be all the good parts of this physical earthly life, without any of the bad. We'll be able to actually physically hug our loved ones who will be there in their new, real bodies, not just floating around like ghosts. We'll eat and work and play and laugh and worship and serve, and for the first time all of that will be as it was meant to be: fulfilling, untouched by the frustration of the curse, full of joy, and lacking nothing. All of our desires will be satisfied as we meet Jesus our Savior face to face and spend the rest of eternity living, eating, working, playing, laughing, worshiping, and serving in His real and very physical presence.
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” ~C.S. Lewis
