Sticker Lady

There is a lady at our Walmart who greets me at the door. (Disclaimer: the picture is not of this lady. I stole it from google images!) I am guessing she is about 80 years old and her sole job appears to be to stand at the front entrance, ready with a large roll of stickers in hand to give to the children. Almost every time I enter Walmart, she is there, sticker in hand, ready to ask Lucy if she wants a sticker.

One of the first times I entered with Lucy, she was a bit nervous about the elderly lady in the blue vest. The look of, "Mamma, who is this woman coming at me with a yellow circle thing" took over Lucy's face and eyes. I assured Lucy the woman was fine, but Lucy wasn't buying it. Tears ensued and needless to say the woman was stopped cold before ever getting the sticker on Lucy's bib.

Well, since that day, there have been numerous trips to Walmart. Too many to count really. And..Lucy has slowly gained a fondness of the lady. She now looks up at her and actually appears to straighten up a bit, readying herself for the sticker placing on her bib.

But you see, I have actually become a bit cold to the sticker lady. I tend to have a mindset of "get in and get out" when it comes to Walmart. Now, the mindset never really works because I always end up lost in the candy aisle, or the hair product aisle, or the rows of potatoe chips and Doritos. But I do at least try to enter with the "hurry in, hurry out" mindset.

So you see...sticker lady...is a nuisance. She takes up time. She stops us and moves slowly over to give us the sticker, that eventually falls to the ground or ends up covered in drool and has to be removed by me...drool and all. So, while Lucy is loving the sticker lady...I am dreading her as we enter.

Tonight I must admit I even tried to dodge the sticker lady. I thought, "Ok, I will put Lucy in and make a bee line for the 95 oz tub of goldfish I see to the left of me." Yes...that is what I will do. And, while I may spend an additional $5.98 I will not be slowed down by the sticker!

It didn't work. She found us. Right there by the Goldfish boxes.

But then it hit me. Right between the eyes as God usually does!  Tonight as we sat at the supper table, Doug noticed Lucy's sticker. "OH...Lucy...did you get a sticker?" And Lucy's eyes lit up! "Well, yes Daddy, I went to Walmart with Mommy and of course the sticker lady gave me a sticker." Ok..she would have said that if she could say that!

And as I saw the smile in my daughter's face, I thought to myself...

YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER NAME!

I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER NAME!

I see her at least three times a week. I let her touch my child. She offers me nothing but a smile. And, she probably wears a name tag...

BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW HER NAME!

I am too busy. Too stressed. Too hurried to even bother.

What blessing am I missing? 
I will find out...this week...I will find out her name. I will find out her story. I will find out what blessing might be waiting to greet me at the Walmart doors!!!!

To be continued....

Watch and Pray!

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak."

These are Jesus' words to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has just found them asleep after he had been praying with all his might and will to God.

When I first read this passage in Mark 14 tonight, I thought, "Oh seriously...men!" I mean leave it to them to fall asleep not once but three times! Three times!! Literally three times Jesus comes to them and says, "Yo Dudes...I am sortof going through something here...could ya at least stay awake with me!??"

Yep, that was my initial judgemental thought. The thought that these disciples were just plain bums. Typical male...fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

And then, God whispered..."Are you awake?"

Hmm...yep. Sure am God. Wide awake...which I must say is pretty good for me considering it is 9:30 p.m.!!

Again, "Are you sure you are awake?"

"ummm...yeahhhhh...wide awake here. Reading the word. Awake as can be."

And once more, '"How awake are you?"

Ok...third time is the charm (back in Bible days and today!)

God is wanting to know if I am truly awake to what is going on around me. Am I in tune with the needs of my family? With the needs of my neighbors? With the needs of my workplace? Community? World?

Am I awake to the will of my Lord? Am I awake to His purpose? To His plan? To His cry through the people around me?

zzzzzzz....

Must admit, just like the disciples, I needed this wake up call tonight.

Get up!
"WATCH and PRAY my sisters!"
"WATCH and PRAY!"

Dear Lord,
 Help me not to fall asleep to the work you want to accomplish in and through me. Help me to remain focused and alive for you. Help me to not drift off, asleep to those around me. Remind me Lord to watch and pray, to realize the hour that is at hand. Thank you Lord for turning on my alarm tonight!"