Epiphany At Walmart

I am continually amazed at how much grace God extends to us.  The past year (and I suspect the year ahead) has been filled with God slowly revealing to me my faults, weaknesses, and His love for me.  It is funny but just when I think "Okay...I've got it!  I've got this down"...something happens and I realize there is still so much more room to grow.  So much more of me that has yet to be revealed.


I had an epiphany at Walmart this weekend.  Truly I shouldn't shop at Walmart because if God has ever set on sending sandpaper in the form of people into my life to smooth out my rough edges, Walmart is their breeding ground.  Shopping there for me is an endless cycle of annoyance.  I spend so much time dodging families that walk down the aisles four wide (and amazingly barely budge as you approach as if you can just levitate over them); working my way around center aisle cart parkers or daydream shoppers (you know the ones, they stroll slowly along the aisle and suddenly get inspiration and turn abruptly into your direction); scooter patrol; dashers (the ones who race to beat you to the check out); the boundary challenged (the souls who just get uncomfortably close to you) and truly the list can go on and on.  I'm not even going to touch the frightmare that is the Walmart parking lot.  Drivers are CRAZY!!!!


I have so often griped in my mind as well as prayed for God to just grant me patience so I would not lose it in the store.  I do not want to drive home in misery because of another annoying excursion, and I do not want to become a person who orders everything online and becomes a shut in because they do not want to leave the house, because let's face it...I can't afford it.


As I was praying another apology to God for once again being a shopping grump, I felt God speak to my heart and say "Pray for them."  It was a light bulb flash.  I started praying immediately.  Every time a person got uncomfortably close to me, I prayed for them.  I prayed for the cashier, I prayed for the greeter, I prayed for the woman racing me out of the door, I prayed for the man barreling through the parking lot.  Because I had filled my thoughts with prayerful thoughts, I had no time to be grumpy or to worry about avoiding anyone.  If you got in my way, you were going to get prayed for.  If you acted rude or inconsiderate, you were going to get prayed for.  What a change in attitude!  I now see my shopping trips as opportunities to be used by god in the most discrete yet fun way.  God and I have a secret.  Well...now you know it too.  :)


"I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take their stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh."  Ezekial 1:19