Three Totally Unrelated Topics

The following are three totally unrelated descriptions, except that all three happened this weekend.

I bought groceries yesterday morning. Just a normal, weekly (well, more like monthly, since I'm only buying for one person) activity. Buying groceries is not an activity I usually look forward to, but yesterday morning was rather gloomy and I had run out of several things, so I actually was kind of enjoying myself in the grocery store. Until I was in the checkout lane. As I glanced over all the items I was purchasing on the conveyor belt, a feeling of guilt came over me. Guilt that I could have all this food when so many people around the world go hungry; guilt that I was free to purchase what I wanted when so many can't. But, interestingly, a second thought almost immediately came to my mind. Instead of feeling guilty, why don't you feel thankful? And instantly my thought process changed. I was struck by the wide variety of foods that lay on the conveyor belt and said a silent thank-you prayer to God. What an amazing God He is to create so many fruits and vegetables, along with giving people the ability to mix ingredients together to come up with new meals. And all this is available to me! So I can savor a loaf of freshly-baked Ukranian bread, enjoy a spinach-artichoke dip with tortilla chips, make spaghetti and meatballs with parmesan cheese, and share a bite of frozen pizza with my dog, Tosca. I know there is a time and place for guilt, but yesterday I decided to feel appreciation for the ability and finances God has provided me to enjoy shopping for groceries. And what do you know? As I was driving home, the sky cleared up and the sun came out!

Since the weather turned nice, I decided to spend Saturday afternoon in Grand Haven. It was a beautiful afternoon for just walking around outside. I first spent some time walking around at the Art Festival downtown. It was fun to watch the kids at some of the activity booths and I enjoyed the different artwork for sale, although I didn't purchase anything. I did notice a number of people walking around with their dogs; I think Grand Haven must be more dog-friendly than Holland is. But Tosca had been left at home (we did go for a walk later, so don't feel sorry for her.) Then I went to see the "Feast of the Strawberry Moon" at Harbor Island. I had read about it before but never taken the time to go; I'm glad I stopped by this year. It's basically a two-day event where people (many of them were families) dress and re-enact life in the 1700's along the lakeshore. There were voyageurs, military, fur traders, and craftspeople, all set up with tents and cooking pots around a large encampment. They also had educational demonstrations as well as entertainment for people to enjoy. This would be a great visit for area families, especially if the kids had recently learned about Michigan history. (It would be a great field trip, if it took place during the school year.) As I walked around, I wondered about the families participating in the experience. I would think this would be a great bonding experience as the family all works together. I saw one family where the father and two older kids were operating a woodworking machine, while a younger boy was carving wood, and the mother was preparing food. In another tented area, a father and two children all dressed in period clothes, were playing a game together. In a way, it reminded me of the camping trips my family took when I was growing up. We had such a good time being together. So, it might be like a camping trip with an emphasis on history for the families who participate in these re-enactments. I also wonder how many of these re-enactments most of the families participate in as it could get costly. For history buffs, it's a great hobby to involve the whole family with.

This afternoon, as I was sitting outside on the deck and reading the newspaper, I suddenly noticed a bird at the birdfeeder. There were two additional birds on the telephone wire near the feeder. One of these birds kept chirping at the bird at the feeder. As I watched, the feeder bird ate and then flew back to the wire and fed the two birds there. I don't know why they didn't all come to the feeder as they could all obviously fly, but there must be a reason. And the "mama" bird kept flying back and forth until both of the other birds were satisfied and then they all flew off.

All right, these three paragraphs had nothing in common except they all happened this weekend. But, on second thought, maybe there is something else they have in common. Something I think God is trying to remind me: Take time to enjoy life and be thankful for the experiences God brings to you.