They say confession is good for the soul right?
I just got back from getting groceries at Wal-mart. I learned a lot of lessons. First don't go to Wal-mart after the lunch hour. Apparently that is when Wal-mart lets their associates take their lunch breaks. I know this because 2 of them were sitting in subway watching the checkout lines get longer and longer.
With a cart full of groceries I head to the checkout and find only 2 express lanes and 1 regular lane open. There was already a line for the regular lane and since I was shopping for the week I was WAY over the 12 items or less limit for the express lane. I got in the line with everyone else and just kept hoping to hear over the intercom "we need all available associates to checkout".
There was a sweet lady behind me who probably only had 14 items but still didn't feel like she should use the express lane (with no line) unless the clerk motioned her over. After a couple minutes she was saved by the clerk. By now there is at least 3 more carts full behind me and still 2 in front of me waiting. Wait some more.
Then I hear those magic words "we need all available associates to checkout". Cool, because it turned out the 2 carts in front of me were actually a husband and wife and they were now unloading their carts so that makes me next in line. I am anxiously waiting for another lane to open because I am next, right? Don't they always open a new lane with the polite "I can help who's
next in lane 2"?
I get distracted from my lookout for a second when I catch Libby perusing through a gossip magazine. I ask her to put it back and as I am returning to my watchful post WHAM! The man who had been in the back of the line is flying past me into the next lane over that is... now open! "Are you serious?" "You haven't even been waiting." I have been standing here for what is feeling like forever."
I can't stand for this. Who does he think he is? Didn't his mother teach him proper shopping etiquette? I can't let him get away with this. I need to let him know how wrong he is so he doesn't do this again to another shopper. The mother in me needs to be heard.
The couple ahead of me was done unloading their cart and had moved up so I could move my cart up which put me right next to Mr. "skip the the front of the line without giving any regard to those there before me". So I looked straight at him as he had his head down unloading his cart and loudly said, "Wow. That was rude!" He didn't acknowledge me but that got the attention of the lady in front of me to which I quickly said, "Sorry, not you. I was referring to the man that was in the back of the line who just cut to the open lane in front of everyone." Again saying it so that Mr. "skip the the front of the line without giving any regard to those there before me" could hear me.
As I finished checking out I was just waiting for him to get sassy with me and was busy thinking up what I could say back to him like "just calling it like I see it."
In hindsight maybe I shouldn't go get groceries right after a "Jillian from Biggest loser" workout and a large coke from McDonald's. Apparently it makes me a little feisty. Like I could conquer the world.
You are know wondering how I know I blew it? Stay with me.
On the drive home I just could not get out of my head what had happened. I was feeling proud of myself for standing up to the situation for all women everywhere. So why can't I get it out of my head and why am I so worked up about it? Then it hit me. That still small voice. I hear "judges justly". Oh wow how quick am I to forget. You see two scriptures stood out to me so much during my devotions this morning that I had wrote them down in my journal "because my kids needed to hear this". Turns out God didn't give me the scriptures for my kids but I was too blind this morning to see how often I do the very same thing that my kids do that bothers me so.
I don't know if this is making clear sense anymore but read the scriptures I wrote down and I think you will get what God was showing me and why I now know I didn't pass the test at Wal-mart.
1 Peter 2:21-23 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."
1 Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called. So that you may inherit a blessing."Ouch! There was no blessing for me today at Wal-mart. As soon as I realized what I had learned I shared it with Anna and Libby who had been with me getting groceries.
Mom blew it.
This is a picture of Jodi with our niece Emily taken at Zack's Open House this past June.
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