Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.(Luke 16:10)
You will never convince me that God doesn't have a sense of humor. He and I have many running jokes. One of His favorite (not mine) is when He tests me to see if I will be faithful in the "small things". By small things I mean REALLY small things. The other day, for instance, I had mistakedly placed a travel-size tube of "Boudreaux's Butt Paste" diaper rash ointment under my daughter's carrier at Target. Only when I reached the car and lifted my daughter out of the shopping cart did I spot it and realize that I had not payed for it. I thought "here we go again, God". I am going to be honest, this one was not easy. It was a TRAVEL SIZE for heaven's sake! I already had my girl in the car and Target was my last stop of the day. Did I mention that it was 100 degrees and crazy humid that day? Well it was, and I was parked at the end of the parking lot. I cranked up the car and told God that it was too dangerous for my girl to have to be out in this heat and I promised to mail Target a check for the diaper rash cream. I had formulated my plan of action in my head about how I was going to call them back when I got home and tell them what happened. I would then mail them a check for the amount of the cream. Nope, no peace with that option. I continued to drive in circles in the Target parking lot. (Secretly hoping that God would send me a sign by giving me a front door parking place). That did not happen and after putting a mile or so on my car riding around the Target parking lot, I made it inside to pay for the "butt paste". It would have been too easy to pick up the Desitin that day but NOOOOOO.......
Another such test arrived during a quick trip to TJ Maxx. This particular incident involved a pair of underwear that the cashier had forgotten to ring up and put in my sack. I guess I was in a far more spiritual place that day because I only sat in my car for a few minutes wondering if I really "HAD" to go and make it right. When I arrived back in the store the line was out the wa-zoo. I waited in line twenty minutes or so and finally made it up to the counter. I am so annoyed at this point and keep reminding God that he needs to make sure to recognize what an ordeal this is...thinking that maybe he would give me a little extra credit. As I reach the counter I pull out my "merchandise" and the reciept. Before I could even begin my explanation the lady running the register launches into a rather loud (or so it seemed)soliloquy on how TJMaxx does not allow people to return underwear. Really God, Really?!? I am sure He is laughing as this scenario plays out. I interrupted her to explain that I had not paid for the underwear. She looked a little puzzled and I continued to explain that I guess the cashier had missed them and I realized it when I reached the car. That is when she looked at me and said "girl, you came all the way back in here and waited in line to pay for a pair of CLEARANCE underwear?" What do you say to that question. "Yes I did and GOD BETTER BE NOTICING!!" is what I was thinking.
It would have been so much easier if it was something larger and more expensive like a shirt or a TV. That is an easy call! That is never my test, it is always some small insignificant item or task. It usually pretty simple just involving a few extra steps like taking the shopping cart to the holding area and not leaving it in front of my car (even if I am sure it won't roll into someone else's car)or returning clothes that I have tried on back to the proper rack (instead of hanging them on the first one that I see). On occasion, I think God needs a laugh and will let me make it out of the store with some stolen butt paste or clearance underwear.
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