Waiting in Line

I was waiting in the notoriously long return line at Wal-mart when I looked down to smile at the blonde-haired little girl at my feet, who was eating a blizzard from Dairy Queen. I struck up a conversation with her, asking her age (she was five), and soon began talking to her mother as well. She began sharing some about their family as I shared about mine.

I asked the little girl if she had started kindergarten yet, and her mother said she would next year. I explained that I had a six-year-old brother who started kindergarten this year, but since we homeschooled, he could start at a gradual pace.

The lady’s ears perked up. “Were you all homeschooled?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Did you ever feel like you were missing out? I mean, I know you weren’t missing anything, but did you ever feel like it?”

I assured her that we had never felt like we were missing out on anything except that which we wanted to miss.

At that moment, it was finally my turn at the return counter. When I turned to go, the lady said how nice it was to meet me. I skipped along as I shopped, happy that I had been able to talk about ice cream with a precious little girl…and to share with her mother the benefits of homeschooling.

I went home and told my parents that God had a reason for that return line being long that day (all the other days are just due to lack of employees!). Oh that we would always find the reason for the wait…