Celebration

I heard a shriek from Asherel, and the sounds of joy and celebration erupting from the other room. What had happened? She is not a very ebullient personality type. When she won second place in the national art contest, she smiled. That was it. No jumping up and down, no dancing, no pumping an exultant fist in the air like some mothers who will remain unnamed. She just isn't given to histrionics. But something monumental must have happened. Asherel was almost dancing and shouting "Yay!!!!" with exuberant delight.

Had someone found life on Mars? Had the Taliban finally surrendered and gathered their opium fields and gone away? Had the surgeon general announced that vegetables were conclusively linked with increased heart attack rates and Ghiardelli chocolate cheesecake shown to cut that rate in half?

"iTunes got the Beatles!" she shrieked as I raced in with a defibrillator and bandages.

To those of you who still live in the horse and buggy age, iTunes is the online store which iPod, iPhone , iPad, and all I-devices use to buy music and applications that make life worth living. Asherel had been living in a state of continual suspense as Apple ( owners of I-things) was in top secret and prolonged negotiating with Apple Core, the copyright owners of all things Beatles. Apple had long coveted rights to sell Beatles albums, but Apple Core had consistently resisted... Until now.

Asherel had earned a lot of money dog sitting this year. She is required to put half in savings, give some to a worthy charity, and the rest she may spend.
"I am buying every album!" she announced, sparks flying out of her eyes.

So while she went to Spanish class, the Beatles were downloading onto her iPod. As soon as she returned she raced to her iPod and with delight plugged herself in.

A few moments later, she came to me with dismay etched across her lovely face.
"Problem," she lamented,"They charged me for everything but only one album downloaded."
Several phone calls to Apple revealed that no living person will ever answer a phone at the iTunes store. We wrote our email complaint and had to wait. No Beatles filled the evening for my disappointed girl.

It is a little thing but I think a recurring message. The world will always disappoint ultimately, even the Beatles. There are rarely days without problems and struggles. It is easy to be discouraged and wonder why nothing is ever easy.

The good news is that unlike iTunes store, there is a living God who answers when we call out and say "This is not what I paid for!"
He answered long ago and reminds us ,"Every cent is returned to you. This song of salvation I give you for free- satisfaction guaranteed."

Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

- Nothing is impossible with God
- hollowcreekfarm.org

Location:Celebration