Emergency Earrings
This past Saturday, I traveled to Mobile Bay for a day of hanging out in the sun. Nope, not the beach, although it was a beautiful day for sand and swimming.
This particular Saturday, I visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, just minutes from Downtown Mobile. Every two months, volunteers put on a reenactment complete with blank rounds and planes that buzz the ship. It's a great show, and the history of both the USS Alabama and submarine USS Drum is hands-on and fascinating. The Aircraft Pavilion, the grounds, and the ships themselves are dotted with planes, tanks, monuments, and more. I love the history and pride that is evoked there.
Planning for my long day of walking and clambering in the heat, I remembered to wear comfortable shoes and a cool shirt. I grabbed my sunhat, my chapstick, and cash for parking. What I forgot, though, will probably seem relatively insignificant to you. Let's be honest; it was actually quite insignificant. When I was on my way to Mobile, I realized that I had forgotten to put in one earring.
It wasn't a big deal. Most women would have done as I did and taken out the remembered earring so that both earlobes were bare. Most women would have gone on about their day, climbed aboard the battleship, enjoyed the reenactment, sweated through their waistband, and not had a second thought about earrings. That was my plan… for about 15 minutes.
But I had second thoughts. And thirds. And the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't shake the idea that I needed earrings if I were to look "put together" while sweating through the humid April day on the deck of an 80-year-old mothballed battleship museum on Mobile Bay. Don't question it. I don't know that I have an explanation, just that I didn't feel complete.
Then I remembered that I would be going past a Walmart. Now, no offense to the good people of Walmart or to the millions of Walmart shoppers, but that's just not someplace I like to go. It's not because I'm pretentious. Or even because I have had friends physically attacked while standing in line at our local Walmart. It's because, for me, it's a money trap. If I go in to buy one thing, I will come out with a buggy load. Walmart knows how to strategically place everything right where you can quickly grab groceries, cotton balls, cheap shirts, car wax, and so many “needed” things.
But this past Saturday, I determined that I could go into Walmart for one pair of earrings. I would go in focused on my mission, use self-checkout to avoid chit-chat, and be out in approximately 7 minutes. And, surprisingly, I did meet my time limit. I didn't buy Easter candy or bleach or table salt. I bought earrings. My ensemble was saved, and I was ready for the reenactment.
Laugh if you will (I know I have), but missing one little thing can make a big difference. We don't have to understand it, but it is important to us for some things to be complete. Do you feel that something is missing even now? Do you wish things were more put together, more complete? It can be a nagging feeling, can't it?
Maybe you are a collector looking for a final piece of a set. Perhaps you are searching for the perfect pair of shoes to go with a new dress. Or, maybe it's more. Maybe you miss someone at the dinner table, or you need to repair a relationship. Maybe you are missing a freshness in your spirit. It isn't easy to settle when you need something.
God designed us to be complete only with Him. He loves us so much that He wants to be connected to us and to have a relationship with us. That is why He created us to have a longing for Him, too.
You've probably heard that God wants us to praise and glorify Him, but the relationship isn't one-sided. He also wants us to lean on Him, talk to Him, and even ask questions.
In Jesus, we are complete. He fills the voids in our hearts and lives. Trying to fill those holes with anything worldly will not last. That's because the world is just a creation, and so are the things in it. God is the Creator. He knows what we need before we do and can fill our gaps. He knew us even before we recognized that we had needs.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:16
Are you feeling incomplete? Is something missing? I encourage you to go to the Father. Spend some time with Him, praising, talking, asking questions. He can not only fulfill your current needs, but He can also help you prepare with wisdom and understanding for the future.
Perhaps you will find a scripture or a truth that opens your heart in your prayer time. You may collect some wisdom or learn to treasure a new song of praise. Our time with God can be so special. I think you will find that He can fulfill all your needs, and He can help provide strength and peace as you wait.
And me? I have two new pairs of earrings. Two? Yep. I stuck the extra pair in the console of my vehicle -- just in case I need to accessorize before I tromp through a marsh or something.
