“Go then, eat
your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has
already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your
head. Enjoy life with the woman [or man] whom you love all the days of your
fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward
in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9: 7-9
“It’s time for the World’s
Longest Yard Sale,” I reminded my husband with excitement. I had wanted to go to
this opportunity to buy a lot of what I really didn’t need for a long time. I
would watch the highlights on HGTV later each fall.
Truly, it is the world’s
longest yard sale. It’s 690 miles long
and follows Route 127 through six states: Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Georgia, and Alabama.
“Hey, Doris, didn’t
you have back surgery in May? Aren’t you still using a walker and rest
frequently?”
“Yes,” to both
questions. But, I spent the day my way,
with a cheerful heart. I didn’t moan because I couldn’t do it all. I rejoiced
that I could do it at all.
What was my style? I didn’t sit at home. Last
Saturday I “went,” following the “go then . . .” instruction in Ecclesiastes. Bill, Katy and I drove over to
Decatur, Indiana and had a wonderful lunch at the Back Forty Junction, a
fantastic buffet of more food than I could even taste. As I looked around the
dining room I saw it was not too much for some who carried two plates of the
main course, plus salad, a cheese and bread saucer, and desserts piled high. I
tried not to stare.
Then, we crossed the
Ohio line near Van Wert and stopped at half-a-dozen booths, roughly one-eighth
of a mile long out of the 690 miles in total. Was I disappointed? No - I was
tired! We ate our bread in happiness, drank our coffee and cola with a cheerful
heart, in clean clothes and combed hair. Most important, we enjoyed life with
the ones we loved.
No one can tell
another person what portion of a yard sale is “enough:” enough joy, enough sunshine,
enough food or enough love. For some, there will never be enough. Others find “enough”
in an unfolding rose bud, the warmth of a setting sun, the smiles of those
around them and the loving sacrifice of their Lord. Let us pray:
“Dear Lord and God of bounty and plenty, Holy is your
name. You are my all in all - enough of all there is to satisfy the most
restless soul. Fill my life with your magnificent love and beauty. Let this be
the day when I realize that my cup has been running over all the time. I have
been too greedy to notice, always wanting more, never satisfied with what you
have given me. How could I possibly say that your gifts are not good enough or
big enough? Forgive me, Father, for being your ungrateful child. May your light
shine so brightly all around me that I cannot help but see all of your
blessings and be grateful for them. In the name of Jesus, your son of light I
pray. Amen”
Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you
mine.”
Copyright 2015 Doris Gaines Rapp
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