2 Reasons I Sin at the Store

Enter through the door that says, “Enter.”

Exit through the door that says, “Exit.”

You would think this would not be that difficult, but every time I frequent that store with the smiley face who slashes prices, I almost run into someone going the wrong way (most of the time because I am attempting to tackle them).

The smiley face has made it easy for you: the exit is always closest to the registers. This means that some people are walking past the exit door so that they may leave through the entrance.

I cannot think of anything that frustrates me more.

Recently, I watched a woman try to enter through the exit side of smiley face but the doors did not open quickly enough. If she would not have been paying attention, she would have ran into the door forcing me to throw the streamers that I keep in my pocket for just such an occasion. I also would have done a dance.

People do not do this at the big red bulls-eye store. They follow the proper procedures. It is an orderly bunch who take aim at that place. When I am at the big red bulls-eye, I always feel so light and happy because I did not have to forgive six people on my way in.

At the smiley face, reluctant forgiveness abounds. I even slap some offenders on the forehead because I assume that they are possessed with a dyslexic demon.

My attitude on all of this changed when I went to the smiley face in Waco, TX.

I was preparing to dish out some judgmental looks as I approached the front of the store, but all of that was ruined when I noticed that the smiley face had slashed the labels above doors. No more rules existed for the entering and the exiting of the store.

I was a little put out.

I like the rules. The rules made me right. The rules made me superior.

The rules made me sin.

Satan is good at that.

He likes to use your Holy Momentum to flip you over his head. You may be doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. You may be obeying the rules and toeing the regulated line, but it can be sin.

Jesus chastised those who prayed. Jesus corrected those who fasted.

It is a tragedy when we use the teachings of Jesus, teachings that were meant to help us build relationship with God and with God’s creation, to divide and set ourselves above others.

It is hard to follow Jesus with this attitude. When I am self-righteous, I struggle to follow the One who is self-sacrificing. When I judge it is hard to follow the One who forgives.

Following the rules can make me an awful person.

This is why I always thank God for His matchless grace.


You should too.

Beating Elmo with a Bat

My daughter loves Elmo.

She loves Elmo so much that if you are reading this blog aloud within two miles of our house, you need to spell E-L-M-O's name just so you will not have to listen to his CD.

She has emotionally connected with Elmo, running to the t.v. to help whenever Elmo cannot shut his crayon created door because a friendly tornado is telling him about when it is safe to play outside (fyi: It is not ok to fly a kite in a tornado).

She gets sad when Elmo is sad.

She is excited whenever Elmo is excited.

She loves Elmo.

This is why I will never buy her an Elmo piñata.

It sounds like a good idea, but it is not. Trust me.

It sounds fun because it has all the elements of a good time - Elmo replica, candy, baseball bat, blindfold. Individually, every item of the Elmo piñata experience is a blast, but when combined, they form a nasty cocktail that will damage the emotions of any child.

Let's say this out loud together:

"Hey sweetheart! You are such a sweet two year old that Elmo will be at your birthday party! Upon his arrival, we will hang him from the ceiling, beat him with a bat until he busts open, and once his insides spill onto the floor, we will all cheer merrily and eat them."

I am no child psychologist but this has to be damaging. No child should have to watch their favorite person be mistreated. That is parenting 101.

Let's say something else out loud together:

"Hey wife/husband, I love you so much. You are my favorite person. I married you because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But for some reason I will be nicer, more patient, and friendlier to complete strangers than you. I will smile when I talk to the waitress or the gas station attendant but I will rarely give you such a courtesy."

It sounds crazy when we say it aloud but it is how many of us act.

We have made piñatas out of the people we love most and we are willing to do anything to them as long as it benefits us.

I am no child psychologist but this has to be damaging. No child should have to watch their favorite person be mistreated. That is parenting 101.