How can I be awake at this time and not have a cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee yet? Well here's how. I forgot to set the timer on the coffee maker. Arg. Now I have to wait.
Last night after Bible study I rushed over to the local mall to purchase a Christmas gift for Rene. I went to the store that I usually go to and by chance the young lady who has been assisting me with my inability to shop for years happened to be there. I usually see her on the day after Thanksgiving or just before our anniversary. She smiled and said that she had wondered where I was on that Friday. I explained that a funeral had detained me but just by chance I came in tonight and that I considered it a blessing. She already had a hunch what I was going to purchase for my bride. She was correct!
As we were closing the deal and finishing the paperwork she asked if I remembered the last time I shopped for Rene. I had already recalled the last visit and replied "yes I remember". On that last visit my clerk was going through some very rough times. I prayed with her in the store and left her with some Bible verses and the phone number for a lady counselor. She looked a lot better than on my last visit.
She went on to tell me how much better her life is now and that she appreciated the help I had given her. I asked her what the difference was and she laughed and said "I believe you already know." I said "Try me. But I bet it has something to do with Jesus". She grinned and said "You bet"! Her life had been changed by an encounter through a Bible verse I had recited and then wrote down for her. Here's the verse.
1 Samuel 12:22New International Version (NIV)
22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.
My shopping took over an hour to finish. I am usually in and out in about twenty minutes. She went on to tell me all about her encounter with Jesus, her church membership, and how she is growing in the Lord and no longer feels alone.
Now all that from a shopping trip! You see folks I did nothing but reach out with a couple of Bible verses and a prayer. God was in the mall and went to work. His Word being all powerful cut right to the heart. I now see that God took a shopping trip and made it an appointment. Only God can do that. He rearranges schedules. He wrote the Word. He gave me the urge to shop last night. I needed a happy story and she told it just as God wrote it for her. God is good all the time. Is shopping ever just shopping? Is a car repair just ever a car repair? God makes appointments for us. We just need to keep them.
Now that's a Merry Christmas,
Marty
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