Sunday, February 3, 2019

The Tale of the Hermiston Watermelon


I had actually wished for it…and that made the surprise all the more delightful. 

It was one of those perfect summer Saturdays, the ones that make you feel as if you were a kid again, with all the time in the world just to play and be.  I was headed over to my favorite fruit stand along Highway 89 to pick up my first box of Brigham City peaches of the year.  I was also meeting up with Julie, my friend from La Grande, who was stopping off to get some peaches herself after being at BYU education.  A road trip along Highway 89 to get Brigham City peaches was something to look forward to in its own right, but an outing to get peaches on a brilliant summer day, with one of my  favorite people, was Mary Poppins-level magic and as I drove through the lush green canyon, I couldn’t help from smiling.   Our time at the fruit stand was short, as I knew it would be as Julie had a long drive ahead of her.  But, the two of us can always make the best of whatever time we are blessed with together and as we chatted and sampled juicy ripe peaches, the ten minutes we spent together was just perfect.  I got back into the car with a large cardboard box full of golden peaches that smelled amazing.  As I drove along the highway towards the mouth of the canyon, I suddenly felt the spontaneous desire to go straight instead of turn, and explore Brigham City a bit before heading home. 

I came to Deseret Industries first and I love exploring new DI’s I’ve never been to before.  It was fun to look at the clothes and books.  Down the road, I saw the little farmer’s market under some shady trees by the library.  I decided to pull over and take a look, as I was on the hunt for a perfect watermelon.  One of my 101 goals had been to learn how to pick the perfect watermelon and successfully pick five.  I pulled into the library parking lot and saw a sign on their door with two words that brought even more magic into my day: “Book Sale.”  Oh, I have always loved a good library book sale.  I hurried inside and downstairs where treasures were laid out on foldout tables.  I loved having time to just browse through the stacks and pick up ones that looked interesting and read a few lines.  What added to the fun, is that a band was playing at the farmer’s market and they were playing some fabulous toe-tapping songs that made me smile even brighter.  I chose a stack of ten cent magazines and then went out and walked out around the market for a while.   No watermelons, but it was fun looking at all the stands and just listening to and feeling the music. 

I almost didn’t stop at the next place I saw.  I was ready to head on home, but I decided run into the little grocery store, just to see if they had something I was looking for.   On their entrance door, I saw a sign that advertised their watermelons at 5 pounds for a dollar.  With that fabulous price, I had to go back and look to see if they had any good ones.  I walked back to the produce section, looked in the large bins, and was absolutely astonished…they were Hermiston watermelons.  For you, (unfortunate) people who are wondering what in the world is a Hermiston watermelon…Hermiston is a town in Oregon, about an hour and a half from La Grande, and long story short, Oregonians feel the same way about Hermiston watermelons that Utahns feel about Brigham City peaches.  Perfectly ripe, crisp, sweet, and when they are cold…oh, I hadn’t had one in so long.  And if you don’t know me very well, you don’t know what it meant to me to have a little small delight from my Oregon home.  I had wished for this.  I had wished that one of my five perfect watermelons could be a Hermiston watermelon and it was coming true!  I took my time and picked out my perfect watermelon and carried my treasure out to the car.  I felt so rich.  I took it home and a few hours before dinner I put it in our little kiddie pool with ice water surrounding it.  We savored it over dinner, piece after piece, and everybody agreed it was the perfect watermelon. 

Some might thing that it was a fun lucky coincidence that I happened into that little grocery store on that perfect summer day, but something much more important happened to me than that little surprise.   Sometimes I have walked into Wal-Mart and seen all the people and wondered, “There are so many people here, people with hopes and dreams and fears and heartaches.  How is it really possible that God is mindful of all these people and cares about all of them, not to mention all the people in and out of Wal-Marts all over the world, not to mention all the people who have ever lived? How can God really be in the details of all those people’s lives?” I grew up in a family of seven kids and it was hard sometimes to get individualized attention with six other siblings.  Was it really possible that God was not just aware of me, but invested in my life, with so many others to care for and love?

The answer to my question came that day in the form of a perfect Hermiston watermelon.  It was no coincidence that I came into a little mom and pop grocery store in Brigham City Utah and for the first time in the 14 years I have lived in Utah, found a Hermiston watermelon.  It was my own special customized miracle, and along with it came a clear message I felt from God, “I see you.  I know what delights your heart and what breaks your heart. I know you better than anyone else and I love you more and better than anyone else.” Looking back on that experience, I can imagine God’s delighted face looking down at me with anticipation as I looked in the bins and saw those wonderful watermelons.

God is in the details of our lives.  I know that is true.  If you ever question whether God is mindful of you, may I suggest that you be on the lookout for the “Hermiston watermelons” in your own life.  I know they will come.