This is going to be a venting post, because I'm worn out, my knee hurts and don't always understand people. See the pretty hat, you seen it before. It is not the most amazing hat in the world, but it was my favorite hat. I got it in the shop, without a price tag because I wanted to keep it, since I spend more time at the shop. Sometimes I bring personal things and label them with the dreaded NFS. Well, the hat is gone, sold, I thought. I'll come back to the hat. I collect little prayer books, miniature most of them in cream color. Well, I had a black prayer book, early 1900s which again I didn't want to sell. About 4 weeks ago a lady visited the shop for the first time and told me she just got her income tax refund and was going to expend it all at the shop. I spend about and hour following her around the store and practically took it apart for her. She spent 650.00. Hurrah...until she stock her hand in her purse and took out a piece of wrinkly paper that I recognize as a temporary check. I will not accept a temporary check for such a big amount of money but that is not all, she scratch the name on it! I told her I could not take her temp check and that by altering that way it was not a legal document anymore. She said she was embarassed and that she was a christian woman. My answer to that was that I didn't know her or cuestioned her Christianity, but as a shop manager I will not accept her check and I adviced her to go to the say bank and bring me the cash since they have branches everywhere in town. Well, she did not came back that day, she showed up 4 days later. She weed out her purchases to 345.00 and paid cash. The same lady came back with a group of her church sisters 2 Saturdays ago. The ladies bought a whole bunch of hats and other things. Well, the original lady told me that she wanted to purchase the pink hat that I didn't want to sell and my prayer book. She told me to price it were I get what I need to be happy about selling both items. Considered that she brought more people, big expenders and as an appreciation token I decided to let her buy the hat and the book at a lower price than I would have wanted. She pulled out clean temporary checks and told me looking me in eye to please trust her since I should know her by now. Can you guess the rest? 3 days later as I check my e bank account I noticed SHE WROTE A HOT CHECK!!!! I went to the bank the next day and got a copy of the check and inmediately called her. I did most of the talking and I tell you what, the money part hurt but not as much as the fact that she knew that both items were dear to me, the fact that she keep saying she was a christian and the fact that she look me in the eye and asked me to TRUST her. She told me that 3 people draw from that acccount and that she will make it up to me. Whatever, that was 2 weeks ago. I don't want to run the check again for the fear of extra fees and I don't understand why I have to go to so much trouble. I have received hot checks before but this one got me really upset. People, if you can not cover less than 100.00 check you should not be shopping and writing checks. At this point and time I can say that woman stole from me. Why she so adamantly wanted the stuff that was not for sale? I don't know, it only make it more personal to me. Secondly, I'm a believer and I dare not use the name of God in vain, when you introduce yourself as a christian you better back it up with a christian walk and conduct. No wonder we are having to struggle so much to get people to want to be in a relationship with God. Non christians do not read the Bible, we are the Bible to them. They are watching us, our testimony, our conduct which speak louder than words. I say show me Christ in your life with the way you live it. We all make mistakes, I don't think the say lady made a mistake, I ignored my gutt feeling and pay for it.
I play K love music all day long. It is a comptemporary gospel station and I get so many compliments about it from the costumers. It ministers to me and have open doors via conversation about my beliefs. I have The Word in signs and they are hot sellers. The people that enter the shop noticed immediately that we are Christians. When I opened the shop I pray to God to use it as a tool for His glory, to be not only a place filled with pretty things but a place were people will find a word of friendship, a word of comfort, a needed hug, a listening ear, etc. It have been mostly positive, lots of tears, hugs, words shared there. Every once in a while my patience is tested by people that think been rude and spreading hate is their solemn duty. They never heard the saying...if you got nothing nice to say...This woman walk in and her salutation was "I HATE YOUR MUSIC" I ignored her and she repeated the same thing 3 times and ended asking me to turn it off. I didn't, I turn it down, not off. How dare you? I think that if my music offends you, my signs, the fact that God is constanly a subject of my conversations, you are entitled to LEAVE. It is my right to do what ever I want in my shop. It sounds harsh, but let me tell you, somebody have to stand up against hate and rudeness. That is not the type of enviroment I want in my shop. It is dedicated to God and I want His spirit to dwell there and in my life too. So yes!, there you have it, I do get upset every once in a while and rude, hateful people make me feel like praying more, for grace and the patience that only comes from God. Tomorrow is another day and I will try my best to let it go. Joyce Mayer said one time to be careful what you pray for. I pray for a store, a place to earn some honest money and the chance to minister to others. Well, it comes with a price, the good, the bad and the ugly, I can not change people, I can only pray that God will change them. Not always right, just trying to do right thing. God is good , always. Take care, Blessings, Marta.
