Don't be a Creeper!

This morning has had it's fair share of curve balls--my husband was having car trouble, so I had to take him to work after doing a school drop-off. After that, I was doing pretty good on time and was hoping to squeeze in a grocery shopping trip. I always feel good when I can get that done early in the day, and not have it hanging over my head or get trapped in the later morning crowds. I made it to the store around 8:15 AM, and no one was there. It was perfect!

Well, it was perfect until on my very last aisle, a fellow shopper began talking to me. Now, I can be friendly, and I can chat with other shoppers. That's fine! But, this wasn't just your average fellow shopper. Nope. He was a creeper. You know--the kind that says awkward things and makes you feel instantly uncomfortable? That was him. His first remark was something about how it was strange that we were the only ones in the store, and isn't it strange how people can become friends when they're shopping? Well, I guess that would be strange...

I gave an awkward smile, and kept moving.

Oh, but it didn't stop there. Nope. He mentioned that if he didn't get all the items on his list, his woman would be upset, and might beat him. Which, he said, wasn't always so bad...if you know what I mean. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.

Oh boy.

So, I took Dorie's advice. Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking. 

Lord, I prayed, please, please don't let him get in the check-out line right behind me.

Well, you know what happened. Yep. Guess who gets right into the check-out line behind me? Further evidence that God isn't just a genie in a bottle.

He starts chatting with the clerk. Oh, but this isn't just casual conversation. Oh no. According to Mr. Creeper (MC), the store is going down the toilet! He is upset to not see the normal staff on hand. He's upset because apparently he feels that the manager is a narcissist. Yes, a narcissist. And...I never knew this before, but according to MC you can always tell a narcissist because they always talk really loud. LOUD! LOUD! LOUD!

Checkout is complete. Grab the receipt. Go! Go! Go!

Lord, I prayed again, please, oh please don't let him be parked ANYwhere near me!

Yep. He drives a white Dodge car. And it was parked in the space RIGHT beside ours. And apparently, he was still upset about the store's narcissistic manager. How do I know? Well, he was still talking about it...VERY LOUDLY! You know, I'm still not sure why he thought the manager was a narcissist. I mean, the guy was working. Maybe that makes him narcissistic?

At this point, I just wanted my groceries to magically load themselves. And he just kept talking. Help! Finally, groceries loaded, I proceeded to secure my most precious cargo, and then try to quickly leave. Behind me I hear him bringing his cart to the cart return spot that is on the other side of my car.

"Don't worry...you're safe!" he says in an exasperated tone, and stalks off.

Umm...uh...whaaaat?! 

Ok, to dear Mr. Creeper--listen, I'm glad you finally got the message that I wanted to be left alone, and that maybe you were giving off a "not-so-safe" kind of vibe. However, if you're offended that I was CREEPED OUT, then please...don't be a creeper! It's really super simple. Be normal! Then people won't think you're a creeper. Don't be so angry at EVERYTHING! Oh, and you might not want to mention your love of being beat by your woman to...well...pretty much anyone. And another thing, when conversing with another grocery store shopper, it may be construed as taking things a bit too quickly to mention your "friendship" within the first two seconds. Let's just slow things down and back it up a few hundred-thousand notches, ok? It's not that maybe WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY down the road we couldn't be friends, but I just don't think we're there yet. And finally, if I am indeed safe, then why are you being so dang CREEPY?!

And to the rest of you out there, maybe there's a lesson in this for all of us. Don't be a creeper, and you won't creep people out! Just fly casual. Be cool. Say no to drugs. The end.

The Definition of Patience

Patience. It's a life-long struggle. The first quote that comes to mind is, "Patience is a virtue." But, what IS it really? When I Google the word, I get definitions like: the capacity, quality, or fact of being patient.

And one who displays patience has these qualities (according to Merriam-Webster):

• Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
• Manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
• Not hasty or impetuous
• Steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

The word has synonyms like forbearance, long-suffering, sufferance, and tolerance. Those words contain a lot of power.

As a parent, the idea of having patience has taken on new dimensions. Yes, dimensionS—plural. I cannot tell you how many times I have gently (ahem!) encouraged my children to possess this quality. Truthfully, I have come to see how much I lack this quality in my life—my relationships, my hopes, my wants, my needs, and on and on.

One day, it hit me. I was trying to explain to my child what it really MEANS to have patience—to BE patient. And I told her, "Patience is...waiting without complaining." And my own words pierced my heart. Thank God for His grace in that moment.

How often it is that my anxieties and my own little daily stresses throw me off, and cause me to be irritable and...im-patient. It's funny how often not being patient leads to complaints, ingratitude, and general crankiness. There is so much unrest in my own life, when I lack patience. Without patience, my life lacks peace.

There is an inherent peacefulness that accompanies patience. It's like the calm in the midst of the storm. It's peace in the midst of the chaos. We can all picture someone in our lives who has displayed this peaceful patience, either in the past or in the present. When I see people like this, I cannot help but envy their peace. It's a quality I long to emulate.

When my children are impatient, it is often accompanied by whining, and sometimes tears. Sometimes, they are inconsolable (read: having a tantrum). I often tell them that instead of resorting to these tactics, they have the ability to use a strong voice, their manners, and have some patience. Perhaps I (and we all) would do well to use my strong voice, my manners, and have a little patience when I encounter a situation (or even a person) that has the ability to unsettle me.

Patience is...waiting without complaining.