10 ITEMS OR LESS.

Hi everyone. I took a short sabbatical from blogging to allow God to advance some things in my life and in my spiritual walk. After, receiving several inquiries as to why there have been no new posts, I was so thankful that at least a few people felt that the Spirit was using me to convey some good stuff! For the past few days, the Lord has had me thinking about the "10 items or less"express lines in the store. (Yes, I do believe that God can give us revelation through anything...most time through the simplest of things.) I used to be one of those people who was extremely irritated by those who were in this line with more items. "Can't they read"....."Do they think they are special"...."It's not fair to those of us who follow the rule"...."It slows down those of us who really don't have a lot of suff". I would stand in the line pouting, impatiently tapping my foot. Mumbling about the clerks who overlooked the extra items and were just as pleasant to these patron as they were to all others in line. (Oh the injustice of it all --sarcastically now). Then one day, the Lord said, is this attitude going to get you to your destination any faster. If you make a big deal about these extra items to the person in line or the clerk, it will only serve to cause commotion and confusion,which will eat up more time than scanning a few extra things and cause embarrassment to someone who was striving to meet the same goal and need as you. It would also make you look petty and childish. Then the Lord said, why don't you assist them instead. Help them carry or load their stuff onto the belt. That way, the process is quicker. Take the extra time as a breather to a busy day. Use the delay to make sure that you have not forgotten anything that you need before you checkout. Our spiritual walk can be like this sometimes. We can find ourselves irritated at those around us who seem to be "carrying a few extra things" and are still bold enough to expressly go to Jesus. We feel like because we have less issues or sin in our life at the time that we should somehow have a one up on that other Child of God that seems to have more items to scan. How dare they think themselves equal. How dare they break the rules and be treated the same? Well, because they are the same through the blood of Jesus. So, instead of allowing jealousy or anger to prevail. I stop and praise God that this person deems me worthy enough to witness them coming to Jesus with their "extra stuff". I stop and reflect, taking inventory to see if I have forgotten anything that needs to be checked-out. I help them with their items through prayer and I watch and rejoice as Jesus scans and bags their stuff with the same grace and compassion as he does mine...allowing them to leave with the things that they need in vessels that are equipped to hold them.