Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we can't take root anywhere.
"But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he falls quickly away." Mt.13:21
This past week I spent time with my oldest son in the Air Force. He was having his wisdom teeth taken out. While at his Air Force base, my son was reminded that sometimes, Daddy can make some of the weirdest friends.
I ran into a convenience store to pick up a few things. While there I got in line behind an elderly lady. She told me to go ahead of her because she may take a few minutes. All she was holding was a pack of gum and a Coke so, being polite, I said, "No worries. I'm not in a hurry."
When she got up to the counter, she pulled out a roll (yes, an actual roll) of twenty dollar bills. And a piece of paper with a really long list written on it. The poor lady behind the counter visibly groaned.
Turns out she had just come from the Senior Center and had taken up collections and orders for lottery tickets.
"I'd like one Mega Millions split three ways," the older lady would tell the clerk.
"I'd like two Powerballs split five ways with the magnifier." She would say after the worker brought her the previous one.
The list was really long. So I had a choice to make. Put my stuff up and leave. Or, make small talk to pass the time.
Yeah. I'm not a get up and leave kind of guy.
Her husband was retired military and had passed about five years ago. She goes to the Senior Center every day and plays gin rummy. She has two kids. A boy and a girl. They both live far off and don't call enough. To pass the time and help with the loneliness she had just gotten a puppy this past year. Her other dog of fifteen years had also passed away.
She wanted to know if I wanted to see a picture of her baby.
Sure.
She showed me a picture of one of the ugliest dogs I have ever seen in my entire life. Unfortunately, it must have shown on my face because then I had to hear the story about how one of the puppy's eyes had popped out and the vet had to take it. And she said the puppy got along just fine without it.
Thinking that maybe an extra eye would make the poor Shihtzu look a bit better I innocently asked, "Do they have glass eyes for dogs?"
Oh. My. Goodness.
Come to find out, they do make glass eyes for dogs. She tried it for a bit but apparently the dog liked playing with it more than wearing it so the dog kept popping it out and chasing it through the house.
"I'm just getting too old to be chasing glass eyes around the house," she said.
(Which by the way is a sentence I have never heard before in my life.)
The clerk was getting to the end of the list so after she ordered four $5 Gold 7 cards she turned to me and asked me what I do.
"I'm a pastor," I said.
"Oh I just felt there was something about you" she exclaimed. "Would you mind to say a prayer for my puppy? She's got worms and I have to take her back to the vet."
I said sure. Grabbed her hands (even the one holding a fistful of lottery tickets) and in the middle of the convenience store prayed that God would give healing to a one-eyed puppy that likes to chase glass eyeballs and has a bad case of worms.
God does work in mysterious ways.
When I got back to the truck, my son just shook his head and said, "Only you, Dad. Only you."
PASTOR TROY CONRAD IS MINISTER OF THE FARMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
Religion on 04/09/2014