Hugged

God loves little prayers. And it's so wonderful how such a little thing as a shirt can brighten life up so much!


I'm never one to recommend shopping as an antidote for the blues. In fact, for me, it usually causes the blues! I was happy to be out with Mattie and Jane today, but I confess, passing rack after rack of clothes I couldn't reasonably buy or wear didn't appeal to me. We had a fun lunch together at Cheddars, and I just wandered through the stores, playing chauffeur and trying to just enjoy my role as big sis.


But I'm just a normal female...I do have a soft spot for pretty clothes. I'm not immune to wanting nice things when I see them. I even gave in and tried on a few things my conscience warned me about, but a sense of being a lady and the knowledge that I need to pinch every penny for the sake of my dear visa dragged me back to reality.


I wasn't there to shop, I was there to be with the girls. But, there was that little lurking discontentment. I thought through my wardrobe. I have plenty of clothes. They are good clothes. I've figured out by now that it's no use comparing myself to other people, because I'll always be a lot poorer than one person and a lot richer than another. I'm pretty blessed, and after all, that's just one less thing I'll have to pack...


We moved from store to store pretty quickly, because it was a shopping trip in honor of Jane's birthday, and she is of my ilk...she flatly refused to buy anything more expensive than eight dollars :) So, we hovered over the clearance racks, and, seeing as all roads lead to Walmart, eventually found ourselves on pilgrimage to that Blessed Institution.

We headed for the clearance rack there, too, where there was a $3 section. Jane and Mattie were raking up, and I was sort of thinking I might possibly if the opportunity arose consider thinking about maybe getting something if it caught my eye...

We noticed all the environmentalist propaganda t-shirts...a step up from nasty slogans about boys, but still not my cup of tea. But then, a nice marine blue t-shirt on the three dollar rack DID catch my eye. It had a light blue whale on the front spouting a cloud of white, on which was effectively printed, "Save the Humans." Immediately I was attached. My ray of hope was soon snuffed out, though, when I saw that all the shirts were several sizes removed from mine.

Shouldering my growing load of miniature disappointments, I moved on, telling God in a brain wave somewhere between whinyness and surrender that it was really ok and if He wanted me to get something, I knew He'd take care of it. It wasn't much of a prayer at all; in fact, it wasn't until, well, a good while later that I remembered it.

So, it was just a bit later (before a "good while" had passed, you know) that I, for some unknown reason, passed by the $3 rack again, from the other side. And there it was. Hanging there by its lonesome was that adorable t-shirt, in my exact size, for yes, three dollars! Favorite color, favorite fit, unbeatable price- not to mention that "Save the Humans" is a cry I'm far more willing to take up than "Save the Striped Spitting Iguanas."

It felt like a hug from God. You know, I'm not very good at being a Christian. I get uptight about money, I covet, I calculate. I think vain thoughts and dither for hours about what is appropriate to wear. But even when I expect God's displeased thumb to squish me and all the muddle, all He seems to see are the ways I'm growing, the little victories, the small, half baked prayers. All he ever does is cheer me on. Finding that simple garment that I liked so much was like the warmth of His favor on me as a little child. It was as if He was saying, with a laugh in His voice, "Way to go, you're so small, but you're doing so well! I love you!"

It sounds like I might be just making up what I want to hear, but I know the voice of my Lord. After all, isn't that what it's all about? Grace...Unmerited favor?