As my family and friends gathered for a community event for the Fourth of July, we could not help but look around at the different vendors. There were food trucks of different kinds. There was a church with multiple stations for various free activities. There were some of the bigger sponsors giving away freebies, and then, there was a guy selling bubble machine toys and light up wands.
As we’d gotten there early, we had plenty of time to observe. Every station seemed to draw crowds and were getting rid of their wares. Except the guy with the bubble machine. Hardly anyone was going to him.
The announcer from the stage kept announcing that people needed to go see him before all the supplies went. It did not appear that he would be selling much and he even took to walking around the area trying to garner attention with the bubbles and lights.
As a small business owner myself, I imagine the disappointment he must have felt. He showed up, set up, and yet, no one was coming to his table. Not even to see what he was selling. I can both understand and imagine the questions going through his mind.
‘Does it make sense for me to be here?’
‘Am I going to recoup my expenses, even if I don’t make a profit?’
Or, maybe, he had experience that I didn’t, and he’d been through this a few times before.
As I mentioned, we’d gotten there almost as soon as the area opened up to the public. There were only a handful of people there. As the night approached and the main event would soon be starting, I looked at the same table that had once stood empty of people. A long line had formed.
I nudged my friend. And then my mom, calling their attention to the once barren area, now, seemingly that the guy could not sell them quickly enough.
Pretty soon after that, the area started filling with bubbles and lights from little and big kids running around enjoying what he had sold them.
The thought started percolating, sometimes we have to wait our turn. Sometimes we will have immediate success, but sometimes, we might have to wait until the night comes, to see just how beautiful the lights can be to truly experience things. When it was day time, the lights definitely didn’t shine as brightly as when the dark came and the main lights were turned off.
So, if you’re waiting for something to happen, would you hold on and remember this story? The conditions need to be just right, and then your turn will come. Just, be ready when it does.
Dear Heavenly Father, often times we associate night and dark with bad things, but if we look a bit further, we realize that your love can shine even brighter in the dark. May we hold on to this reminder that no matter how dark it may seem, you are still with us.