Our Father Knows Best: All that and a bag of chips

His bag of chips to me, or us, is what He leaves with us. It’s the treat for later that we can enjoy and share with a loved one. In each visit with Him, we are assured of another at our leisure. Just like with my mom, I can unload my fears and concerns.

The title of this message is, perhaps a little off-the-cuff sounding, yet there is a deeper meaning if we think about it.

We all have so many different little sayings, yet never know where they originated.

Still, we can use them and apply them at will. I am about to take into this one, from my perspective.

Each time I have a visit with my mom, who lives next door, she greets me with, “what’s going on”? After we set the kettle on for tea and coffee, we settle in. I catch her up on the week, and she offers me a sweet with my hot drink.

As we sit and chat, I am always amazed at how easy it is to share and learn something new about her with every conversation. At almost eighty-six years old, she can still conjure up something from her past that I didn’t know.

These days, like many her age, she is unsteady on her feet, hard of hearing, and does forget some things. Yet I am pleased to still have her in our lives.

As she turns the television to mute, and we share some time together, we laugh, watch the birds outside feeding, and sometimes have a little cry as we miss people who have gone on before us. It’s amazing how quick an hour can fly by when you spend time with someone you love.

As I prepare to leave, she always walks me to the door, and as I give her a guaranteed hug, kiss, and I love you mom, she says, “oh just a moment”.

While I pause at the door, she hands me a large bag of chips. She always told me that as a baby, she would offer me a cookie, or a pickle, and I would always choose the pickle.

It’s the salt thing. Think about it, we can enjoy the chips as we sit with a loved one, and even lick our fingers to get every morsel.

Now here is where Jesus comes into my message. Like our elderly parents, Jesus waits patiently until we come knocking on His door to sit and visit.

Like my mom’s door, His is always open for whenever we can “make time”. He never admonishes us for being late or busy because He already knows why.

He always has a place prepared for us to just sit and chat, whether we come for a laugh, a lesson, or a cry.

When we visit with Him, either in a service, or just in our thoughts, we have His complete attention. His hearing, sight, and mem

ory are all perfect, so we need only whisper and He hears us. Like our parents, if we just listen to Him, we will always learn something new about Him.

He will never fidget in His seat and will always wait for us to make our exit before He walks us to the door. As we leave our chat, we know we have been given the gift of a lifetime in every conversation.

His bag of chips to me, or us, is what He leaves with us. It’s the treat for later that we can enjoy and share with a loved one. In each visit with Him, we are assured of another at our leisure. Just like with my mom, I can unload my fears and concerns.

I can soak up what He wants to tell me. I can catch up on the week and days, and I can leave till the next time with all that and a bag of chips.

As I write this message, I am enjoying the sounds of my wife preparing food for our Ukrainian Christmas dinner later today.

Perogies ready for cooking, turkey and cabbage rolls are in the oven.

The smells are permeating our home on this cold snowy day, yet I take comfort in knowing that we will gather today to share a wonderful meal. Our numbers are smaller, yet the importance and gifting of our gathering is just as valuable as a crowd of many.

At then end of the day, we will all say our good-bye’s with hugs and doggie bags. As for me, I will give thanks for the blessings in my life.

One in particular, God’s presence in our lives is all that, and a bag of chips.