So yesterday, I mentioned that my local Publix had failed me in my search for Brachs or Sweethearts candy hearts. As I wrote, I was not pleased. Because I love me some candy hearts. But at the same time, I wasn’t too worried; after all, I’d be out at Target later that night and could raid THEIR bargain bin.

That evening I got to Target after dropping middle schoolers off for their Wednesday night service. The store is in the middle of a remodel, so I had to circle it a few times to find everything on my list. And still no sign of Valentine’s Day stuff.

That was the 1^st time God saved me from myself.

But I wasn’t willing to give up so fast. They HAD to have a shelf somewhere. I NEEDED those hearts. So I kept circling the store, until I found the 50% Off shelf at the back, behind the new Easter candy display. YAY.

There among the gift bags and heart-shaped plates and pink doilies I scanned for hearts – no luck. I rifled through the Valentine cards that didn’t make the cut – no hearts. I dug through the bags and bags of Brachs candies that WEREN’T hearts (cinnamon lips, anyone?) – not a single bag of conversation hearts. I must have stood there for 5 minutes just staring.

The 2^nd time God saved me from myself.

But did I give up? No, I did not. I was a teensy bit obsessed by this point.

So I scanned shelves that I’d already picked over. I paced back and forth in front of the display. I crouched down and looked BEHIND the leftover Valentines.

Finally, on the top shelf, I saw a different-looking bag and picked it up. I felt a surge of triumph. I had FOUND THE PRECIOUS.

Sadly, my victory was short-lived. The bag was half-empty, the shelf below it littered with those precious hearts. And of course, when I picked it up, even more hearts spilled out.

The 3^rd time God saved me from myself.

Let’s review: A trip to Publix yielded no hearts. A trip to Target got me lost and initially yielded no hearts. Then after searching and searching, I found the ONE bag of hearts that apparently existed in my part of town … and emptied it onto a shelf.

Do you think God was making his point loud and clear?

For a brief moment, I seriously considered stuffing the hearts back into the bag and buying them anyway. “How dirty can that shelf really be?” I said to myself.

Clearly, I have a problem. My addictive personality has latched onto candy hearts, and now I know I need to wait a WHOLE YEAR before I see them again. I’m actually grieving a little.

As Charlie pointed out when I told him this story, it is a VERY good thing that I’ve never tried crack.

“It’s a good thing you’ve never tried crack.” is originally posted at: The Red Clay Diaries - Rambling down the dirt road of life Copyright 2007-2011. Use only with permission. Follow me on Twitter. I'm redclaydiaries