At times, most of us wonder where heaven is and whether we will reunite with our departed loved ones if we make it there. Many of us look toward the sky when we think of those who are gone, praying they are up there somewhere looking down upon us.
Does Dad still enjoy his ice cream beyond the clouds? Did Grandpa become an angel, and is my brother asking too many questions? Is Mom winning all the Scrabble matches, and is she back on a heavenly golf course with her buddies?
Seeing images of eternal life comforts us and gives us hope. We often believe paradise is far away, but I’m not so sure it is. I recently caught a glimpse of it in the most unexpected place—my local Marshalls.
My friend Deborah and I visited several stores to buy items for decorating an office for one of the publications I write for. No, I am not returning to interior design; I am just helping a friend.
I needed to find coasters and couldn’t find what I wanted for the life of me. “Shucks, Deb, let’s quickly run into Marshalls since we are nearby. “Well, Deborah and Marshalls are very close friends. She could spend an hour going through a rack of a thousand blouses to “see what they have” in case what they have is what she needs.
We didn’t have much time, so we ran in. I was taking a chance because I have known many Marshalls addicts, and they can get hooked quickly on shoes, dresses, or those many doodads.
The minute I walked into the store, I noticed a blouse on display under a jacket. Without thinking, I reached under the coat, grabbed the blouse around its waist, and exclaimed, “Deborah, if Mama were still here, I would buy this blouse for her. It looks just like her!”
In the latter years of my mother’s life, I bought most of her clothes. If I was shopping and saw something she would love, it became a “thing” for me to surprise her with a pretty blouse or jacket. Her delighted face was always priceless.
It took me a minute before I could let go of that blouse. The pale spring flowers sprinkled across the soft fabric were in all the colors Mom loved. Even though she died fourteen years ago, there are moments when the loss seems like yesterday.
After stopping a few times on our way back to the home goods department, we finally turned the corner toward the décor shelves. Just as I started down the aisle displaying the coasters, I noticed a solitary blouse hanging on a rack with blankets. It was completely out of place, and it was the same pretty blouse in Mom’s size I had seen at the front of the store.
Deborah saw it at the same time, and we both fell silent. Then I uttered, “Mom’s here!”
None of us know where heaven is or what it is like, but it exists. Little children see things we cannot because their minds are not as cluttered as ours. Sin has not yet cast doubt on the presence of God and his world. Their imagination, filled with playful joy, has not been dampened with regret, distrust, and sorrow.
Too many of us have lost the ability to see beyond the racks of clothes and the trinkets around us to find an awesome God. When we experience those little glimpses of another realm, do we cast them off as a coincidence or cherish them as a blessing?
Do we believe in our own intelligence more than the supreme power of God? Sometimes, we should remind ourselves that “God can do anything He wants.” If He desires to bring Mom to Marshalls, part the waters of the Red Sea, or raise His son from the dead, He can.
God is omnipresent. I hardly understand the word, but I know that He can simultaneously be in my office, your car, and Australia. So, be receptive to knowing that He is wherever you are, and keep your eyes open to the mystery of life, even if it shows up at Marshalls just down the road.
The next day, I returned to Deborah’s favorite store to buy the blouse because I wanted to enjoy the comfort it provided. Just as I was about to take it to the register, I heard a voice softly say, “Lynn, I love the blouse, but it’s too expensive!”
I decided to put it back on the rack, remembering that Mom was always right.
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Lynn Walker Gendusa is a Tennessee-raised, Georgia-residing author and columnist. Her latest book “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith” is available on Amazon. She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. For more of her inspirational stories, click here.
