INSPIRASUNS

Sometimes when you least expect it, you stumble across little things, little gems that just make you smile. Our church has a small thrift store, we call it the Church Mouse. People drop off “gently used” items that they no longer need, you know clothing, housewares, furniture, sports items, you get the idea. The volunteers at the Mouse price the items and once a month on a Saturday we open the Mouse to the community for a sale. All of the money collected is then given back to charities we support in the community. Well, two times a year we hold large community sales. We basically empty the Mouse into the parish hall and mass advertise the sale. This Saturday is one of those large sales.

Yesterday afternoon I was making my way through the parish hall as volunteers were setting up for the sale and stopped in my tracks when I came across two items. On the glass and kitchenware table was a set of two small cocktail glasses and just down from those, a small ceramic mixing bowl. Both you could tell were older. You see these items caught my attention because they look very similar to items my mother-in-law had in her home. I mean they were dead ringers for these items!

Years ago I was introduced to the McQueen family drink. My father-in-law was the master mixer in this regard and I’ll never forget the first time he sat a little cocktail glass, (just like the one I saw yesterday), in front of me with the pink liquid known to the family as the “Grandpa Special”. The little ceramic bowl, well as I said it’s a dead ringer for the one in a big set my mother-in-law owned. That set is on display in my kitchen now. The largest bowl, and I mean HUGE bowl was used back in the day to make her famous vegetable salad. It was a salad she concocted to use the veggies harvested from the large family garden. Cabbage, carrots, green beans, peas, beats, you name it she put it in this salad and then mixed it all together with her signature oil and vinegar-based filipini dressing, all in that huge bowl.

I know it seems weird but seeing these items on that table yesterday almost instantly took me back to some of the fondest memories I have. A kitchen filled with laughter and chaos during family get-togethers known as the McQueen Rally of the Clan. My husband is one of six children so as you can imagine when we all assembled, it was a pretty big deal 🙂 . There in the middle would be my in-laws making the drinks and cooking.

I’m not sure why Father put me where he did yesterday, maybe He felt I needed the reminder of those memories. Maybe He felt I needed a reminder of the incredible gifts in my life. Maybe these little gems were put there to make me pause and not only remember but give thanks for the priceless gift of family. My friends, take a moment as you begin your day, just pause and give thanks for the simple gifts, the little gems in your life.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, I paid the $5 for the little gems I found yesterday and brought them home. Those glasses just might have even been used 🙂 . Have a great day my friends 🙂 .

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.