The line at the checkout counter was growing by the minute. After all, it was just a few days before Christmas. But the woman, maybe in her seventies, had put just a few items on the counter and seemed oblivious to the  mutters and glares of those of us behind her, while she took her time. I was next in line.

It turned out that she was a couple of dollars short in the total of her purchases, if she wanted to redeem her points for $40. The clerk suggested a chocolate bar or some gum. So, the woman left the counter, stepped through the line of people and took a few moments to select her gum. Slowly, she returned.

The gum gave her the points. She ended up owing four dollars and change. Change, being the operative word here, as she opens up her wallet and dumps all the change she had - not loonies or twoonies, but nickels, dimes and quarters. I thought the two elderly ladies behind me were going to blow a gasket. Normally, I would have been annoyed, but I was in no hurry and this was catching my comedic interest, as to what might happen next.

Next was the clerk counting out the four dollars and change  for the woman. After returning the remaining coins to her wallet, the woman took her receipt and toddled off happily, never once acknowledging in any way that she had kept people waiting. It was  carried out either with utter innocence or it was a sly gest; I am not sure which.

There is much tension between the times that God's people cry out, "How long, O Lord," (Ps.13:1, etc.) and God in action. There is not exactly much solace in the verse, "A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by,,,," (Ps.90:4) There seems to be a lot of encouragement to wait for the Lord; he'll get around to it eventually. Generations passed between Joseph and Moses; then there were 40 years in the desert; then generations of bad kings; then 70 years in exile, and then 200 years or more before Jesus appeared, and then, and then, and then. God seems to be counting his nickels, dines and quarters, as he wants full value for his redemption plan. I guess that this is going to take more than just a packet of gum.

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as children.," (Galatians 4: 4 - 5).

It all works out in the end. Having hope, doing much waiting, having patience, enduring in the meanwhile, are all part of the process. Together we will get through whatever we have to manage. 

A merry and blessed Christmas to one and all.

Dale