Lost Keys and a Free Lunch

Late Wednesday morning Shay and I decided to have lunch together.  However, when I went back into the office to grab my keys they were not on the desk where I normally leave them.  So, I looked in the next probably location, the top draw of my desk.  No keys.  I casually checked around the office thinking I would soon spot them.  No luck.  So, I retraced my steps throughout the church that morning and still did not find them.  Then it dawned on me.  I had spent an hour of so with two couples in my office.  I thought maybe one of them had picked them up by mistake.  So, I called and asked them, but they checked and did not have them.  At that point I was becoming a little concerned.  Most keys can be easily replaced at a minimum cost, but I had two vehicle remote controls on the ring that are fairly expensive to replace. 

Finally, after searching for half and hour I gave up so Shay and I could go to lunch.  We decided on Subway.  We had planned to go early and beat the crowd, but the search for the missing keys changed those plans.  We arrived right at noon and there was a line already formed.  When we walked into the store I saw that the last person in line was a friend.  So, we chatted while going through the line, ordering our sandwiches and picking our chips.  When he got to the check out he asked what we were eating and said he wanted to buy our lunch.  After some half-hearted attempts to resist, we said ok. 

As we sat down to eat, I mentioned the fact that I was still wondering where those keys were and even shared that I had prayed about them.  Here is the content of that prayer.  "Lord, you know where those keys are, and it would please me greatly if you would let me in on it."  When I shared that with Shay, he simply smiled and said, "we got a free lunch."  What a guy.  Always looking at the situation through the eyes of God's sovereignty.  But I had to admit that he was right.  Had we not searched for the keys we would have arrived much earlier and would not have been in line behind that generous friend.  God truly is a marvelous God.  We praised Him for His goodness . . . but I still wanted to find my keys.  Within five minutes of getting back to the office I thought of a place in the building that I had gone early that morning . . . and sure enough, there were the keys. 

So, praise the Lord for lost keys that lead to free lunches.

The Look

I am really enjoying my grandson, Jackson at this stage in his life.  He is eleven months old, crawling everywhere and always seems delighted to see me. In fact, each time he sees me you would think he is looking at the Grand Canyon for the first time, a dozen presents under a Christmas Tree, or a shopping cart full of candy.  When he sees me he opens his mouth as wide as he can, stiffens his entire body and begins to make all kinds of noises.  Of course I interpret all of this as him being so excited that he just cannot contain himself.  It's really cool to feel this important.  Right now, he really thinks that I am a big deal.  He will outgrow that as he matures and comes to realize that, though we have a pretty special relationship and a bond that can never be broken, I am still human, just like him.  There will come a time when that mouth will not drop open at the site of his Papa J.  There will come a time when he will see me

in a more realistic light.  I know that will happen, but for now, I'm basking in the pure joy of watching him light up when I come into his presence.

I wonder if that is anything like what God feels when we come into His presence and respond in awe of Him?  I want to be like Jackson, when I enter the presence of God.  I want my entire mind, body and soul to respond in awe of Him.