Jumping to Conclusions

After all the life lessons I've learned the hard way you would think some of them would have sank in and stuck with me by now, but nah, here I am still making things difficult.

It all began while getting dressed for church a few weeks ago my husband mentioned that he only had four church shirts that he had been wearing over and over and needed new ones. He spends most of his time on the road for work and doesn't get to make many services, much less go shopping for new clothes. I told him if he wasn't so picky I would start picking some up for him. 

 Side story on why I quit shopping for him: A few years back I found a red wrangler button up shirt for a steal and decided to surprise him with it. I got home and hung it in the closet and planned to wait for him to find it. Well days passed and I forgot about it. Fast forward a week or two and we were cleaning out our closets getting things out and bagged up to be donated, I looked up from my side of the closet just in time to see him pull that brand new red shirt out and say "ew where did this ugly thing come from?" as he tossed it in the bag. Since then I haven't surprised him with one single piece of clothing.

Well anyway, back to the story, he told me to go ahead and try to pick him a few shirts out next time I went shopping so I decided to give it a try. A few days later he was away at work and I happened to be out town taking care of some business and doing a little shopping. I went to Cavenders because he will only wear the pearl snap button ups and I know they always have a good selection of them. This is where my new life lesson takes place.

I was browsing the racks and finding quite a few shirts I liked but my arm was getting heavy so I walked over and laid them on the checkout counter where no one was working. I went back to browsing and found a few more shirts. As I went back up to the counter to look through all the shirts and pick my favorites I noticed a man whispering to a woman behind the counter, both were looking at me. Right away my wheels started turning and I started getting agitated, I just knew they were talking about me and how I was carelessly taking up their precious counter space even though no one was working on the side where my stuff was laying. I tried to ignore them as I continued looking through the shirts I had picked out. I looked up and noticed the girl now whispering back to the man and both were still looking at me. I asked them if I was bothering them by being there or if I was in their way somehow, the man told me no and that they were just talking. Well by now I was agitated and feeling uncomfortable so I picked out about five shirts I wanted and put them to the side. I was gathering the ones I had decided not to get up and was going to put them back. While getting them together the lady asked if I was going to purchase them, I told her no but that I was putting them back so she wouldn't have to. That's when she spoke up and told me the man (which turned out to be the manager on duty) had told her that if I decided to purchase the shirts to give me 50% off of my entire order. I almost cried. I counted all of the shirts and I had twelve all together. I already had five set to the side to purchase, so if I added one more to my purchase price I could get the other six for FREE!

The lady was so kind while checking me out and told me that even though I was getting them for half off I could still return them if they didn't fit him, or if he didn't like them (which is likely, insert dramatic eye roll here.) I thanked her and walked out of the store feeling very thankful but also about five inches tall for all the thoughts that had went through my head and how fast I had been to jump to conclusions. 

 James 1:19 says "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath:" 

I failed that scripture on every level possible. I hadn't heard what they were saying, I had only assumed I hadn't been slow to speak, and I wasn't slow to wrath because I was instantly aggravated upon walking up.

 I believe God puts me in so many learning situations because he knows that it takes more for me. Some people may be able to experience one life lesson and become a better person from then on out, but not me. No, I fail daily and constantly need to be put back in check. But isn't that awesome? That we serve a God who would rather give us an uncomfortable reminder that we are messing up rather than let us go about our own ways and end up lost and mad at the world? 

I really will try to remember this lesson next time I catch my self assuming things or jumping to conclusions, but I'm sure before too long I'll be posting about another lesson learned the hard way. Till then, hope this helps someone in some tiny way.