I have a memory tucked away in my heart. We were living in West Michigan. The children were mostly small. I had been out calling. I stopped by the church to check my mail and messages. I called Lois.

“Hey, I’m coming home. Do you need me to stop at the store and get anything?”

I made the mistake of shopping hungry. I don’t remember what she asked for but by the time I got home I had to have the boys help me carry the bags in from the truck.

The children attacked the bags like a school of Paraná. They must have been hungry, too. I just backed out of the way while the children gathered around the island in the kitchen and scavenged through the groceries.

“Hey, popsicles!”

“Bagels – blueberry. I love bagels.”

“Hey, there’s coffee here.”

“Ah – macaroni and cheese. Can you make this mom?”

Each child found just what he was looking for. Finally all the food was put away, we built a fire, and a peaceful satisfaction settled over the house. (And I was the hero. I always love that). I’ll always remember that little cluster of children all eagerly, gratefully digging through the bags.

Your Heavenly Father loves you. He knows just what you need. He knows what you love. He has filled the world with things enjoy. Your Bible is full of the promises of God like sweet, ripe apples on the tree.
He wants you to depend on him. He loves to see you eagerly rooting through the bags to see what he has for you. (Read Matthew 6:25-34 and Matthew 7:7-11)

Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
February 23, 2009

Related Reading

• Grocery Bags
• People Who Love You Thick or Thin
• Buried Evidence
• Eager to Pay