Obedience, Ice Cream, and Pink Lemonade

I'm sure you're wondering what obedience has to do with ice cream and pink lemonade.  I was wondering the same this afternoon.

As is my Sunday custom, I drove my van riders home from church and on the way back to the church, I noticed (2 houses down from the church) a young girl holding a sign that read "Lemonade for Sale".  I waved as I went by, in a hurry to park the van and get home to my family who had gone home in my daughter's car.

The Sunday School lesson was still fresh on my mind.  The children of Israel were being admonished by Moses, before they crossed over into the Promised Land, to be obedient to God and He would be their God make them into a mighty nation so that His name might be glorified .  The whole theme was obedience and the importance of not only listening but hearing and obeying His commands.

I barely had time to put the van into the parking gear when I heard God whisper to me (I guess to see if I was paying attention), "Go buy some lemonade from that little girl."  My first response was, "I don't think I have any money."  He reminded me that there was always change in the ashtray and that sometimes my husband hid a few dollars in the secret compartment.  I reached into the compartment and found a dollar bill just as if it had been placed there for this very purpose.  Oh, that would be just enough for me to stop at McDonald's on the way home for an ice cream cone to cure some of the sweltering temperature's affect on my head! 

Ice Cream was not what the Lord was thinking about.  He had lemonade on His mind.  I remembered the Sunday School lesson on obedience and since I was the teacher, I thought I'd better practice what I preached.  I got into the van and pulled out onto the road.  I quickly told the Lord that I would stop, IF someone else didn't stop before me.  Would you believe a lady pulled into the drive just before me!  As I started thinking about the taste of that wonderful vanilla ice cream on my tongue, the Lord tapped me on the shoulder again and said, "You're not getting off that easy!"

I made the block and decided to stop back at the church and pick up a bulletin so that I could invite the little girl to church when I stopped for the lemonade.  I watered the plants and picked up a few other things, trying to give the other customer time to make her purchase and leave.

Once again, I got into my van and pulled back onto the road.  Just as soon as I was in sight, the little girl grabbed her sign and moved closer to the road.  As I pulled up to her stand, her smile grew by feet.  I got out and asked her how much she was selling the lemonade for and her reply was, "fifty cents."  I told her I'd like a glass and she proceeded to open an ice chest and fill a little styrofoam cup with ice.  She asked me if it were enough ice and I said it was just right.  She then pulled out a plastic pitcher and poured pink lemonade into my cup.

I asked her how business had been and she said she'd only had 3 customers.  She had started the day asking $1.00 per cup but had marked it down to fifty cents.  I told her that it was worth way more than fifty cents and handed her the dollar.  I then asked her if she went to church, and of course she did, she said.  (She must have taken the day off to sell lemonade)  I handed the bulletin to her and told her about our kid's club that met each Wednesday night and that we'd love to have her come visit when she wasn't attending her other church.  She said that she'd seen me in the parking lot.

In talking with her some more, she informed me that she was moving to Georgia where she couldn't have pets.  She'd be starting a new school as well.  I told her that I'd be praying that her move would go smoothly and got back into the van and waved goodbye to her as I drove away.

The first thing I thought was, "Why, Lord, did you have me stop at the lemonade stand?  She's moving and chances are will never come to church."   His answer was, "It's not for you to understand all my ways and commands.  It's your job to be obedient!"  I spent the rest of the trip home praying for that beautiful, curly-haired girl and her family.  Most likely I will never see her again . . . but then again, who knows!  I do know that my Heavenly Father knows her by name and has a special plan for her life.  I pray that if she doesn't already know Him that she will.

The sacrafice of the ice cream cone was well worth the lesson that I learned this afternoon.  "To obey is better than sacrifice!"  (1 Samuel 15:22)