The true number of HOPE... on EBAY

This past Christmas I saw an antique cow tag, made of copper, used as a key chain. It was shiny and heavy and the perfect size for keys. 
The one I held in my hand belonged to a friend and the number read 21. She said her mom had given it to her years before on her 21st birthday. Light bulb moment.... I had a daughter who was 21, and a son who was not. Hmm, what number would he like? Maybe the number he always wore when he was participating in sports. 
The search began and I realized this would be tougher than I had thought. Evidently there were others out there who also thought these would make great stocking stuffers. 


The bidding wars would commence soon enough, but first finding the right numbers. I searched ebay and realized I would have to rethink my number choice. 
A thought..... I remind my kids(and myself) that they have an audience of ONE..... and no, its not their mom. Well, they can think of me next, right after they think of God.


They know who they belong too, who plans their steps and guides their journey. 
So, the logical choice was 1! 
Now, to find them. Finally I did and the bidding began. 


Just an FYI in case you are not aware, Christmas can be a dangerous time to bid for gifts, especially ones that begin to stir emotions in us. Yes, old, dirty cow tags seem to accomplish these feeling. Who would have thought?
I started to think of my kids and each time they would look at their keys( hey, we are talking multiple times a day) and think of their creator, God, maker of the universe and they would quickly bow their heads and thank him for their blessings.....namely, their mom who bought them the key chain:)


The bidding continued and quickly the amount I said I would pay... doubled.  
"Oh , no you don't. I will not be beat!!"I hollered at my ebay homepage!  But I persevered and no worries...... I won!

The tags arrived, one along with the chain evidently worn around the cows neck. Yes, I paid the shipping on that. 
I told my husband excitedly what had arrived and the story that went along with these little marvels. He looked at me like I needed a tag on my head that said, "she's nuts, lost it, take her away".
He decided he would help the poor woman and clean them up. He scrubbed and shined and the finished product was beautiful.
Finally they were wrapped and placed carefully in the stockings that were hung with care....okay, not really. They were draped over a chair high enough to keep away from the chocolate sniffing dog.  What stocking doesn't have chocolate in it?


They fell to the bottom of the stocking... did I mention they were slightly heavy? My son opened his, puzzled look on his face. The daughter laughed at hers...... no doubt stunned by her moms eye into the girls fashion sense.  She likes solids, classic, and expensive... ya know, the kind of clothes they don't put a label on, because after all, that would just be tacky.
And hey, this was solid, classic(?), no tags.. hmm, it was a tag and certainly expensive...... I had nailed them all! Well, three out of four, recognizing four could really be a problem.


The son thought it was cool and got the whole audience of ONE thing. He embraced it.  He is using his and I recognize it also doubles as a weapon. Did I mention it was a little heavy?
The daughter.... well,  I think her tag is in her room in a box. Gotta go look for it and maybe I will frame it and hang it on her wall.  I think I will get on ebay and look for a frame. On second thought, maybe not....


Do my kids know they have an Audience of One? Yes. 
Did they need the key chain to remind them? No
Does God give us visuals all throughout scripture and today to remind us of his majesty, his power, his truths? Yes.


Maybe I should have picked 316 for the tags. Wonder how hard that would have been to find? That is the true number of Hope. 
Lucky for us, this hope is not hard to find. God lays it before us and asks that we only accept him and love him. After all, he first loved us.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. " John 3:16