Just An Average Day at Wal-Mart
Oh mylanta, sometimes Wal-Mart is just more than I care to handle! I don’t like it when people cuss loudly in the parking lot for my kids to hear. I don’t like sketchy dudes striking up weird conversations. I don’t like witnessing verbal child abuse in the bread aisle. I can really get stressed out by just going to Wal-Mart! But God spoke to my heart about all of this. It is possible to see past the outer shell and outward expressions and realize the eternal and phenomenal value of each and every person…even though my flesh doesn’t always want to!
I have found that my compassion level is directly proportionate to my closeness with Jesus level. If I am low on spending time with Jesus, I’m also low on His perspective. In His Word He is asking me to hate the sin, but He has commanded me to love people.
Think about it…God doesn’t command us to have an emotion…He commands us to choose love…the action. I have to remind myself that love is not the mushy gushy feelings in love songs. Those emotions come and go. We can choose to love because He first loved us, undeserving and full of sin. (1 Jon 4:19)
Self Check Out
One day my boys and I were using the self checkout register at Wal-Mart, and the precious lady overseeing it was helping us. Unanticipatedly she walked over and began a confrontation with a lady and her teenage son who were apparently stealing items at their self check out station. The look on the boy’s face was pure shame. My heart quickened and I kept hearing inside: “Don’t judge.” Of course stealing is wrong, but the Lord was impressing on me to redirect my thoughts. Not only that, but my young sons were taking all of this in as well.
We finished our transaction and I began praying as we pushed our cart to the parking lot, “Whatever they are facing, whatever pain and disappointments they have, whatever the enemy is trying to accomplish in their lives, please help them, Lord. Give them hope. Please turn them around, show them clearly a better way. Jesus wins…not the enemy in their lives!! Pour out your grace, mercy and love on them Jesus. Do what only You can do!! Please guide the sweet Wal-Mart employee in her words and actions too!”
I asked the Lord if I was supposed to reach out and talk to them, and I received a “No” in my spirit, but I knew I was to keep praying for them. I asked the boys to pray too, and to understand that stealing is wrong but it’s not our place to judge.
God hears and answers our prayers. Not only do I believe He worked in the hearts of those strangers from Wal-Mart, but during my prayer, He transformed me…to choose something better…something effective…rather than dwelling on negative, judgmental thoughts!
We can get disgusted and lose hope. But when we are looking down on people, we are not looking up to God!
A better choice
We don’t have to use our brains to roll ugliness over and over in our thoughts…to no avail! I’m learning to stop right where I am, and let the Holy Spirit guide me in HIS ways!
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Two days later I saw the same wonderful employee at Wal-Mart, and I reminded her of the situation I witnessed. I asked her, “How did it go? She told me that they were embarrassed but paid for all of their items with no arguing! What??!! Praise God!!!! Then she said, “Please keep praying for me. This is a really hard job.”
His Light His Love
So at Wal-Mart (or wherever) I encourage you to use this strategy: Every time you encounter people who are not easy to love, start praying that God will help you see them from His perspective. When I choose to do this, my judgmental spirit falls away, and I cannot turn up my nose. It’s impossible to be that way when you’re in conversation with God, who is LOVE!
You may be thinking, “That sounds like a lot of work! I just want to shop at Wal-Mart and get outta there!” All I know is that my stress level goes way down and my heart becomes way full! The world is dark, but Jesus Christ, in us, can pierce the darkness with His light, His love.
And isn’t this just like God: the amazing Wal-Mart employee became my good friend! She is such a special person I have loved getting to know. God is truly amazing!
