Like for most people in Ontario, Saturday was a big day for me. 

It was the first day in three months we could shop in stores for something other than groceries. 

That three months seemed like it was six or seven, so when the gates opened on Friday, people flooded to the stores.

For me and many others, Saturday was the first chance we had to do some real shopping … and I took advantage of it. 

There were several things I needed to get so I had a route planned out for the morning. 

Not surprising, there were lineups outside most stores. With limited capacity at this time, there were far more people who wanted to shop than were allowed in stores at one time. 

I had four stores I needed to drop in on – I waited in lines for three of them. 

Thankfully the lines moved fast. It was like everyone had a list of stores to get to so they didn’t want to linger around in just one. People seemed to have a business mentality to get in, get what you need and get out.

The last store I visited I had a return to make. What was I thinking?

Lily and I had bought two globes for ceiling fans at our cottage. We found out they didn’t fit when we opened up the cottage this spring.

Why I thought it would be an easy matter to take them back on the first day of shopping in three months, I don’t know. 

It was like trying to make a return on the day after Christmas. While everybody is piling into the stores to get the bargains, there is a long, sad line of people waiting for two return clerks to process their unwanted items. They wait longingly so they can get in on all the bargains with their new found money. 

Well, while everyone was filing directly into Lowes, I was rerouted outside the store to join a line – the sad line of people who were not smart enough to know this was not the day for returns. 

I waited a long time for the people ahead of me to have their excess building products all sorted through – plumbing items, flooring, fasteners. … It was like watching a cashier at Canadian Tire count out the Canadian Tire money someone presented them to pay for a $150 item. 

It was painful. 

Finally I got my turn. Without a receipt though, I was given a gift card for all of $16.07. 

I immediately went into the store to look for globes that would fit our fans. I found two that I liked, headed to the nearest cashier, and promptly forgot to use my gift card. 

I’ll use it on my next trip, which may not be for a while. I got my fill of shopping in that one morning. 

Here’s the thing: Do you know when it’s the best time to get right with God? If you have sin in your life, do you know when you should confess that sin? Or if you’ve never placed your faith in Christ, do you know when the optimal time is to make Christ your Lord? Well, unlike shopping the day after Christmas or the day after the end of a provincial lockdown, the best time to get right with God is NOW. There are no lines, no waiting; just do it now. The Bible says this is the day, this is the hour of salvation. Don’t wait. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you been waiting on for the right time? Leave your comments and questions below.

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