I love Super Wal-Mart! No, I don’t work for them (and I probably wouldn’t say that if I did), but ever since one opened near my home, I’m a frequent shopper. I mean, they have everything, right? So I was there recently, shopping list in hand, coupons at the ready, looking for deodorant. Now, I know deoderant isn’t a glamorous topic, but stay with me on this. I have very sensitive skin, and for years I have worn only one brand of deodorant, their unscented version, otherwise I have an allergic reaction. It so happened that I had a coupon for this brand that would expire soon, so even though it wasn’t an urgent need, I was going to buy some. Except, Super Wal-Mart didn’t have it!! How could this happen? I mean, they have everything, right? I checked. I checked again. Nope, they were out. Oh, now what was I going to do? Super Wal-Mart had failed me! How could a store so huge not have exactly what I wanted?
No, wait. How could a store, no matter how huge, have exactly what I and everyone else want all the time? So maybe my deodorant was on a pallet in the back, or maybe someone had bought the last one minutes before I got there. Or maybe they only order that brand once a month and it wasn’t time. How could Super Wal-Mart know that my $.30 coupon was about to expire? How could they know that I have to use only that kind of deodorant? They couldn’t. They can’t take into account everyone’s wants and needs all the time. I’m sure it would be a great business practice to please everyone all the time, but Super Wal-Mart just can’t make that happen. Now here’s where it gets good…
I love God! And, yes, I do work for Him. And He always has what I’m looking for, and I don’t need a coupon. But sometimes I do need patience. Because even though I might think I need or want something right now, that may not be God’s plan. I might have to wait for something. Because even God is not in the practice of pleasing everyone all the time. And sometimes things don’t work out exactly like we want them to, because that’s not a part of God’s plan.
Would you like to know what happened with Super Wal-Mart and the deodorant? I really wanted to use the coupon, and it had been years since I had tried a different kind (with very painful results). So, I bought the same brand, a scented version. Just to save $.30. Even though I was not out of it at home, I did it. I was impatient. I wanted things to work out my way, right away. And I used it. And low and behold, a rash that none of you would envy itched and burned me for several days.
What did I get for my impatience? A savings of $.30 on a wasted $3.00 and pain and discomfort. And a reminder to be patient.
Check out Romans 8:25-28. And have a great week!
We are a mom’s group ministry of Ginger Creek Community Church in Aurora, IL. Our mission is to create a support system for women in the profession of motherhood. To educate and challenge them as wife, mother, and home manager while providing a safe place where they are valued and encouraged through a growing relationship with Christ. We hope this blog will extend some of this ministry to you.
