"special"...

On Saturday, two of my young friends and I went on a little excursion to a local shell shop for a bit of shopping. They each had a certain amount of money to spend and were working hard to buy what they really wanted and still stay within the specified dollar amount. S, the older (at 8 1/2), was doing pretty well on his own--finding treasures, adding up the cost, checking with me for verification of his funds availability (and could he go over just a bit?!)--while I helped B, the younger (at 7), do his treasure hunting and calculating.

We had a great time checking out all the sea treasures and doodads in the store, and it didn't take the boys too long to make their decisions and reach their dollar limits. They were able to get a bit more "bang for their buck," as many of the items were on sale, and most of the baskets from which they pulled their treasures were marked with "SPECIAL!" signs.

When we got out to the car, both of the boys opened their bags and pulled out and unwrapped their purchases to examine them with delight once again. They were very pleased with themselves. S exclaimed about what a great shop that was and how wonderful everything was in it. He said, "These things are so very SPECIAL, aren't they, Sharilyn?!" I agreed with him that they, indeed, were.

Both boys talked excitedly about the store and the awesome things they had seen in it. And then, after remarking about how great were his purchases, S said, "There were so many good things in that store! That's why there were all those signs saying 'special'... because all those things were so special!"

I agreed with him as I held back a chuckle at his misunderstanding of the use of the "special" signs. He was impressed that everything was so very "special" in the shop and didn't realize that "special" meant "on sale" in that context.

This little boy's misinterpretation of the use of a word started my mind to working.... about how differently God sees than we do. People. Circumstances. What we see as failure, God sees as an opportunity for growth and deepening of character. What we see as a broken life, God sees as a chance for something new to be built from the pieces. What we see as a hopeless person, not worth trying to rescue (on sale? not worth much?), God sees as SPECIAL... a treasure.

Hmmm. Out of the mouths of babes... no wonder Jesus said we must be like children! They have a way of seeing things that we miss. They have insight and understanding born of a certain sense of innocence and lack of sophistication. They are generally looking at the world with their eyes wide open and with the wonder and awe of seeing things for the first time. To them, so very much of the world and what it holds is, indeed, SPECIAL...to be delighted in...to be treasured.

I love how God uses everyday situations to remind us of His presence and His character. I love how He uses even the seemingly smallest things to point us to Him and His ways. And, I'm sure I'll never look at a "SPECIAL" sale sign in the same way again.

running shoes and riot gear

A friend called me yesterday and asked if I would be able to take her shopping for the day today. She is having a special party for her daughter and needed to find some clothes for herself and her boys for the occasion. She had heard that there were going to be some great sales today, specifically one at JCPenney.

It was going to be one of those "5 hr sales." You know the kind I'm talking about--like the ones on so-called Black Friday (what a name!!), the day after Thanksgiving. The sales that are only for a few hours beginning at the very wee hours of the morning and ending by noon. The sales that have just a few of the very best items, and they can be had by YOU at a scandalously low price if you can get there before everyone else who is also trying to get there before you! Those kind of sales are what I'm talking about here.

So, I had the picture of it in my head: I would awaken and rise early, don my running shoes, and sprint from the house to the car, speed to the pick-up location of my friend, slow down just enough for her to leap into the car, tear off down the freeway to the mall ....and the sale at JCPenney. When we arrived, we would open the trunk, and pull out and don all of our full riot armor. (You know, helmets, flak jackets, shields, billy clubs, and steel-toed running shoes. Can't you just see it?!) Then, and only then, would we be ready to face the sales crowd and get the good stuff just waiting for us to rescue it from the clutches of the masses.

Well, I will admit, it wasn't like that at all. We had a good day 'hunting and gathering,' got some great deals, and finally arrived safely at home, dog-tired and foot-sore, just a couple of hours ago. Though there were quite a few people at the sales, we did manage to survive without our riot gear.

It did make me think, however, about the armor that we truly do need to put on each day so we can walk out into the battle of daily life. In Ephesians 6:11, our Captain commands us to "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." He tells us (vs 10) that this is the way for us to "...be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." It is by donning our armor that we will be able to stand our ground (vs 13). Without our armor on, we will be an easy target for the enemy of our souls as he seeks to damage and destroy us in any way he can.

A quick list of the armor He commands us to wear is very much like the riot gear I had pictured above:

• helmet = helmet of salvation
• flak jackets = breastplate of righteousness
• full-body shields = shield of faith
• billy clubs = sword of the Spirit
• running shoes = feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
• (uh-oh, no protection!) = belt of truth

That which I joke about above is truly a necessity for us to wear each day as we enter the daily battle of life in this fallen world. So, whether you're going to a 5-hr sale or to work or even just getting out of bed in the morning, take the time to put on your armor that you may be able to 'stand your ground' no matter what comes your way! We are far more victorious in the battle when we are properly dressed!