The lonely fish.

We had a mini-tragedy happen around the fish tank today. For a long, long time we’ve had a nearly empty fish tank. Just a week and a half ago, we started to re-fill our tank.

Little Miss Sunshine and The Narrator made a deal that if she cleaned her room every night for a week, we would go get a fish. One fish is much cheaper than the inflated price of allowances these days. I made a little connect the dots page and every night she cleaned her room she connected a dot. When the page was finished (a week later) she had a picture that sort of looked like a fish. Armed with a few dollars in cash, we headed to the pet store for an “orange fish.”

We actually ended up with two orange fish (still cheaper than an allowance) because the one fish would be lonely and needed a buddy. The two orange fish liked their new home and Little Miss Sunshine feeds them every day. T-Rex watches. In fact, they pull a chair up to the fish tank and fish-watch every day. They neglect the tv and head for the fish tank. Love it.

Today, I was out on an errand and missed the action. Apparently, upon feeding time, one of the orange fish appeared to be dead. Not appeared dead. He was dead. The Narrator scooped him out, and forgetting there was a 14 day guarantee, had a flushing funeral. The Narrator told me that Little Miss Sunshine was ok with the dead fish, until it dawned on her that the remaining live fish was lonely. And then the waterworks started, not for the dead fish, but for the live fish.

“I’m sooo sad!! The fish is lonely!! He needs a new buddy!! We have to go to the fish store!!!!!”

By the time I came home, she was calm, but the first thing she told me was that we had to leave right now and go get another buddy for the lonely fish. That is when The Narrator filled me in. How can you deny that $2 request for friendship?

I’ve been reading through the book Captivating as I prepare for our upcoming mini-women’s conference. Tonight I was reading how the relational core of women reflects the image of God. Relational. Little Miss Sunshine is as relational as they get. I asked her to draw a picture of someone we know and the baby they are going to have, and she drew the little family, us on an airplane going to visit them, and a “friend” for the baby. Every night she thanks God for all our friends. She always wants to know who’s coming over today. When is the next party? Who will we see today?

Everyone needs a friend. Even fish. So the lonely orange fish got a new buddy today, and the world is in order again, at least the world of the fish tank. And as she mourned today for the fish left behind and alone, I thought how right she is. Every time we lose someone who loved Jesus, I find myself mourning those of us who are left behind – lonely, missing that person so very much. And at the same time, I find myself yearning for the King’s return, when we will all be united and made whole, never to be lonely again, never to be missing the face or laugh of that loved one, never to be missing the face of Jesus Himself, never to be questioning relationships, never to be doubting love, but to just be. united. Eternity of being together. How I long…

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

18Therefore comfort one another with these words.