Of Hutches and Expectancy

Our town is so tiny (how tiny is it?) that we don't even have a supermarket, but rather, just a convenience store. (Though, after going 6 months without even that, trust me, I'm grateful for it.)

Yet we do have an antique co-op inside of an old 1800's church. Very spiffy indeed. So when we moved here two years ago we visited that antique store and immediately, I fell in love with the hutch you see, above. We sorely needed a hutch like that, what with our drawer-less, upper-cabinets-less kitchen. But the hutch was $600 and we were pouring money into necessary (but kinda boring) things like windows from this century and insulation, having the floors refinished, a whole new garage, concrete, etc.

But for two years that hutch stayed on my mind and we'd visit it, even, sometimes, there at the antique shop.

Then finally we (especially me) felt the time was right to bring our hutch, home. So last Saturday Tom went down to make an offer on it after we both agreed I'd stay home because he loves to make wild low offers on everything and I prefer that both parties get a good deal, causing whispered friction. (Eons ago we owned a little music store and I practically gave away our inventory. My heart is too soft to be a salesman).

Well. They'd already lowered the price on the hutch to $485 and Tom made one of his ridiculous offers to the woman behind the counter. Three-hundred dollars. Good grief. And so the woman picked up the phone to call the owner of that particular hutch to see if he'd accept the offer, but oh my, Tom later told me that she was highly doubtful that this deal would go through.

The owner didn't even make a counter-offer. Instead, he accepted Tom's offer and the woman at the co-op was astounded! She shook her head and repeated over and over while Tom wrote his check, "He just never does that. I can't believe he came down that much. He just never does that."

I love it when that happens. And I also love it when I keep believing for good things, rather than bad. For you know, sometimes my 'expector' gets broken, becomes all negative, doubt-stuffed and pathetic. But more and more, Grace is there to nudge me and whisper, "Hey, Sweetie! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, remember? Whatever happened to believing for godly favor, blessings and miracles?"

Yes, Grace. You're so right and I so need those reminders.





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So what are you expecting? Lots of good things or bad?