April 29 – “Painted eye … brows?”

I met another new person in my travels around WalMart.  This lady was working at the returns desk.  She has been at WalMart for years now, so it was about time I said something to her.  I forget what I was returning, but she was all businesslike about following her proper procedures.  I struggled to find just the right thing to say, and then finally jumped in.  See, she paints her eyebrows.  I don’t mean she puts that black or brown stuff on them to help bring out a natural color.  I mean she paints them.  The black stuff completely surrounds a flood of bright blue and white.  Fascinating to look at.  So, I told her so.  And she immediately brightened up.  With a big smile on her face she said, “When you get to be my age, you need all the help you can get.”  That was opening I couldn’t pass up.  I came up with a comment on how young she looked, and she replied, “I’ll have you know that my birthday is Monday, and I will be seventy years old.”  I have to admit I was stunned almost speechless.  She really did not look that old.  I would have put her in the fifties or early sixties at most.  I told her I didn’t believe her, and she reassured me that she was indeed approaching that milestone.  That was all we had time for in that encounter.  The next person in line was getting antsy.

So fast forward to yesterday.  We needed a few groceries, so we headed over to WalMart.  And as we strolled over toward the light bulb section, there she was, painted eyebrows and all, talking to a co-worker.  Chris asked if she was the one I had told her about having a 70^th birthday.  Well, what else could I do?  As we walked past, I called out, “Happy Birthday.”  That brightening immediately came out again.  She reached out and touched me and said, “I can’t believe you remembered that.  Yep, the big 7-0.”  We continued on by and I tossed over my shoulder, “And I still don’t believe you.”  That’s a relationship that I think will be kind of fun to pursue. 

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Father, be with my new friend as she keeps on barreling through life at age 70.  Amen.