It's nearly tomorrow and I should be sleeping. Dennis is snoring softly in the chair and Jay Leno is entertaining me with a Tom Cruise interview. Late at night is my favorite time of day-- everyone is asleep, the chores and duties of the day complete, and it is my time to do whatever I please. Since getting a laptop computer and wireless router, I seem to spend my late nights on the internet. The minutes quickly turn to hours-- one site leads to another and I love having the world at my fingertips. Perhaps that comes from growing up in rural eastern Washington and leading a very simple life? Perhaps it comes from my love for shopping (!) and having little access to great stores? Perhaps a combination of both.

Today we took a family trip to Lewiston. It was time again for a Costco run-- we were nearly out of toilet paper, paper towels, kleen-x, and laundry soap and when we're running low on those things it's off to Costco we go! Plus, we're having a New Year's party and Dennis' 40th birthday party in a couple of weeks-- so we had lots of party supplies to stock up on. Dennis also had several stops to make in order to get everything he needs for more winter equipment overhauls and the cattle. So, we took the pick-up and had to pull the gooseneck trailer in order to get home with his 50 gallon barrel of oil, several 20' lengths of angle iron, and a bunch of other stuff from the Catepillar store. Because of the trailer, we had to park on the very outskirts of the Costco parking lot. The wind was gusting and as soon as both pickup doors were open, a blast of wind swept through the pickup and sent a receipt flying across the lot. Our ten-year-old son chased it into a small thicket of pine trees. He came back, without the slip, and a worried look on his face. Turns out he came upon a tent that had been set up by a homeless person. The tent was nestled in the trees, facing the Snake River. Dennis retrieved the receipt and we went on into the store. After eating lunch and shopping, we found ourselves bracing against frigid winds that met us outside of the store. Trekking across the expansive parking lot, we all made comments about how far we had to walk to get to the pickup. Poor us!! *sigh* Catching site of the tent, the blue nylon flapping against the wind in spite of the surrounding trees, we were humbled. I felt inclined to leave something-- I had a bag of oranges I could leave. I thought about it the entire time Dennis was loading the pickup and I don't know why- but I didn't go through with it. Maybe it was fear? I don't know. Now I'm ridden with guilt. We dont' know people's stories... we don't know what circumstances have occurred to lead them to where they are. My boys participated in our church Christmas program this year and it was a story about a poor cobbler who was waiting to meet Jesus. He waited all day-- answering his door expecting to meet the King of Kings, only to find common, impoverished people whom he helped by giving them food, shelter, and clothes. At the end of the day, the cobbler was sad thinking he had missed meeting the Lord. Then the lord spoke to the cobbler, telling him he had met with him several times that day, and how proud he was of the grace he had shown. I believe the lord comes to us in ways we don't expect. What if He was in that tent today? Hungry, cold, scared.
I wish I'd left the oranges.