Giggles at the Grocery Store

Hello everyone.  I apologize that it has been so long since my last post on this page.  A few days ago, I remembered a funny little incident from my childhood, so I thought I would share.  

When we were growing up, Todd and I seemed to get the giggles at the most inappropriate times.  That alone caused Mom and Dad a lot of frustration. 

One time when the whole family as at the grocery store together, Dad put some little dessert cakes in the cart.  John was only a few years old, maybe four or five.  He asked Dad what was in the box and Dad told him. 

For the next several minutes, John followed Dad and said over and over again, “Those are dessert cakes, huh Dad?  Yep, them sure are cakes alright.” 

Ordinarily that wouldn’t be so funny.  But John repeated the same thing every few seconds and he was speaking so loudly everyone in the store could hear him.  Well, if that wasn’t embarrassing enough for my parents, Todd and I thought the whole thing was funny.  We got our giggle box turned over and could not stop laughing. 

Finally Dad turned around and told all three of us we better be quiet.  He told John not to say anything else about the cakes and he scolded me and Todd for all our giggling.  Even knowing we were in trouble, it took a lot of restraint to settle down. 

The incident became one of our funny family stories. 

Sometimes we just need a good laugh, don’t we?  It is good to find humor in simple things.  I think the ability to laugh is one of God’s gifts to us. 

In Luke’s recording of the Beatitudes Jesus said, “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh.”  Luke 6:21

In Proverbs we find  “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22 

Another great verse on joy is Proverbs 15:13 which reads “A glad heart makes a cheerful face,  but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.”

Here is one more:  “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25

I like this last verse because it tells us we can give someone “a good word” and make them glad.  Isn’t it wonderful to think we can serve the Lord this way? 

Kids can say and do funny things that make us laugh.  Children love to play and laugh together.  It is totally natural.  It is the way God made them and us too. 

It still when I remember that night at the grocery store so long ago. 

Let us treasure the time we have with our families.  Today’s laughs become tomorrow’s precious memories!

Christ above all things - Robin

The Marine and His Bride

He was a young Marine from Mississippi stationed in Miami, Florida.  He fell in love almost instantly one  fateful day at a drive-in restaurant with some of his Marine buddies.  She went to the skating rink with her sister and some  friends and stopped at the same place.    

The Marine was 20, but the young lady was only 16.  When asked for her phone number, she declined.  She thought he was too old for her.  It could have all ended right then.  The story would be over before it ever began. 

The love story still going strong nearly 65 years later would never have happened.  It would have only been a dream in the young Marine’s mind.  Except it wasn’t just a dream because the young skater’s older sister gave him the number.  

I’m not sure what changed the young lady’s mind about him.  Maybe it was because he was so persistent – but she agreed to go out on a date with him. They soon became a couple and about ten months later decided to elope. 

Thus began a loving, faithful marriage.  Their love for each other could easily be seen by all those around them.  They found joy in being together.  He always took care of her and provided for her and the children when they came along. 

She was his faithful bride who loved and trusted him to the fullest extent.  She had every confidence in his faithfulness to her.  She was his helpmeet and her support only made him stronger and better. 

The Marine passed from this world, but he loved her until the very end.  He showed it in so many ways all his life.  She loves him still.  The marriage vows say ‘till death do us part.’  But the vows are wrong, because the love goes on. 

Love and trust create a strong bond that is not easily broken.  It is that way with earthly relationships true enough; it is also true for our spiritual relationship with God. 

Through all of our trials and heartaches we must remember that God is faithful.  Our heavenly Father will never leave us or forsake us.  We can read about His faithfulness in 1 Corinthians 10:13.  It is a verse quoted regularly, but that does not decrease the importance of it. 

 ^“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Sometimes we think our trials are so hard to bear up under.  Sometimes we want to give up our faith and just walk away from it all. 

The devil wants us to give up.  God wants us to look up!  Look up, friends.  Trust Him!  Look for HIS way out.  He will give us an escape route – because He loves those who love Him. 

Just as the Marine and his bride had faith in each other, so we can have complete confidence in our God.  He will never let us down!

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.  

                                                                                                                2 Thessalonians 3:3 

Christ above all things - Robin