Picked Out

I had rarely seen my husband so excited about anything.  He was in love! He came out of the music store the other day absolutely starry-eyed about the guitar he had discovered for sale there.  He described to me over and over how wonderful it sounded.   He mentioned it several times over the next few days, and when he was in a pensive mood I knew he was thinking about it.

Finally Howard announced his intentions: He was going to buy it!  Never mind that he already has guitars and several other musical instruments.  I heard him calling the store and making arrangements (they took trade-ins).  "I'll be right down," he said to someone on the phone at the store 40 minutes away.  Turns out the man he needed to talk to was out until the next day, so we would go then.

I was surprised to see the pile of instruments my determined husband loaded into the car for evaluation.  At first, we couldn't locate the store, since he'd only been there once (didn't think about using the GPS), but a helpful driver directed us to the right street and I was assigned to keep my eyes peeled for the building. "That's it!" I cried, as we almost went past it.

The friendly clerk was very attentive and checked out a guitar Howard had brought to have adjusted. After he pronounced it in good shape and gave helpful information about it, my eager husband told him we were here for the guitar he had seen the other day and described it.

"Oh, you mean the used Martin back there?" the man said, then he dropped the bombshell. "That guitar was sold yesterday at the end of the day!"  My husband's face fell.  I could feel his disappointment and unbelief. The attendant was very kind and sympathetic, suggesting another fine instrument that had been Howard's second choice the other day.  But nothing would suffice, so leaving his name and number in case another one like the first one came in,  Howard led me out of the music store.

I couldn't help but think of the parables describing the kingdom of heaven that Jesus gave in the Bible. Matthew 13:44 says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

And in verses 45-46, Jesus says, "Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Nothing in life is as important as gaining the kingdom of heaven.  My preacher husband has been preparing diligently for days a message that he will deliver at a service tonight in a Kansas town. Garnering souls for the kingdom.  That is his real first love.