Well, the reason for his pessimism didn't have anything to do with the celebration of the birth of Jesus. He works at Sam's Club and has to deal with rude, angry customers. They are stressed out by the holidays and irked at the amount of money Christmas is costing them so they take it out on the salespeople who are required to maintain their cool and deal with the hassle.

Now, I had already purposed in my heart that I would be sweet and kind in all of my shopping excursions. His remarks made me determined to double up on my efforts.

One of the things I do is to softly whistle Christmas carols as I walk around the store. Sometimes, I even break out into song (quietly) which helps me retain the proper focus of the holiday.

Recently, I stood in line and watched a cashier deal with a disgruntled customer. I was tempted to change lines but I wanted to see the end of the encounter. Eventually, after about 25 minutes, the problem was solved and the rude customer walked away. I approached the counter and remarked to the cashier, "Wow! That was quite a show. You were very long suffering with that woman." She smiled and answered, "I almost lost it a couple of times and I'm glad it's over."

What kind of customer are you this holiday? Are you patient? Kind? Understanding? Or, does your Christian spirit hide behind the grocery cart while you give the cashier, or someone else,a piece of your mind. (Which, by the way, they don't want because any piece of your mind you're willing to give away must not be important enough to keep.)

Remember this: God is Omnipresent (everywhere) and He is standing there in the same line as you - taking it all in. Kinda scary, huh? You see, we can blow off steam and hurt someone's feelings because we're miffed about something and stomp out the door thinking we really got them told. But, what are we going to do with the Lord, Who saw and heard it all and is disappointed about our behavior?

Many Christians flunk the holiday shopping test. Don't be one who gets a failing grade. Be determined to get a great big A+ when the Holiday test is over. You will feel so good you'll shout "HALLELUJAH!!"

I pray the Lord blesses you today.

Warmly, in His love and life,

Roland Scroggins

© 2005