Letting Once Be Enough

Our Labor Day was perfect.

By 8:15 a.m. Tom, Naomi and I were on our way to a certain countryside town and their annual Labor Day community yard sales and flea market, but uh-oh! When we arrived, where were all the cars and people and yard sales lining the streets? And the flea market? Why wasn't it in its usual spot?

What a test--at first. But Tom and I complained just a tad before hooray! We spied a yard sale. Then another. Then another and another, probably only six, total, (we'd expected at least twenty) but it was enough, for oh! What treasures we found (like that little lamp I showed you, earlier). Hours later we left hot and sweaty with the car nearly full.

Then back through the fields and farmhouses and barns, back to our current town where we stopped at Salvation Army for their annual Half-Off-Everything Labor Day Sale. I finished looking early, found no books (drats), grabbed a few nice tee shirts then waited out in the (hot) car for Tom and Naomi, who, way past our agreed upon time limit, came out wobbling with large bags which made the car totally full by now.

It all felt like the old days, some twenty years ago, the three of us on a typical weekend treasure hunt. It all felt good.

You'd think that would be enough right? But when we pulled into our driveway Naomi announced that she'd like to go to the Salvation Army store in our other suburban town, for she wanted to make the most of her trip up here since, in Nashville, there are only Goodwill Stores--expensive ones. She hinted it would be fun if we all went together.

So even though Tom and I felt old and tired, that's what we did. Unloaded our stuff, sliced-up a yellow homegrown tomato for sustenance then took off again. And at this Salvation Army, wow... Book finds of the century for me:

Oh my.. the kind of books I'm always searching for around here, but usually must buy only online. 

Then a quick stop at Burger King for $1 (Labor Day priced) fruit smoothies for Tom and me (Naomi would rather die than eat/drink anything at Burger King....heh...) then the drive home, each of us happy as larks and me catching myself thinking, "I don't want this to end. I want to drive back out tomorrow and have another day exactly like this one. I want Naomi to move back up here so we can experience more of these special times like The Old Days."

But of course, looking out the car window at places we've driven past thousands of times these 19 years, I remembered how God has sectioned our lives into seasons and how we cannot hold Time still, for no season lasts forever. Each one can be equally grand and sweet if only we'll cooperate with God, go where He says, do what He says and celebrate the good along the way.

And I do love my current season.

So instead of wishing to duplicate our perfect day (vacation days not being 'Real Life', anyway), I will, instead, just add it to the hundreds of unforgettable memories within me of such times gone by and know there are tons of other lovely days ahead, different sorts of days, but just as remarkable if I'll allow them to be.

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"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions."  ... Ecclesiastes 7:10

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