This is a long one—longer than I like to post—but it’s funny and, I think, worth the read!

This past week we celebrated Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and I worked really hard … AND I worked really hard at shifting my focus from feelings of self-pity and negativity too! I think this time of year is hard because …

[Tweet “The holiday season can be a “stress-palooza” of possibilities! #merryturnedmeltdown”]

But here’s what I {eh-hem} “God” did to mentally, relationally and most of all spiritually help me to feel encouraged in some recent stressful situations …

I reminded myself that “I don’t deserve anything!”* In fact, the Bible tells us what we really deserve is “death” and certainly not for things to go our way {Romans 3:23 & 6:23}! I also followed that up with the thought that Jesus loves me and is with me in those troubled times. In fact, I imagine(d) Him holding my hand and reminding me that, “He’s got this!”

Here’s how that practically played out during my holiday “shopping trip” …

I was getting in a rather short line {on Black Friday} at a department store. As I approached, there was another lady coming to the line maybe a smidge behind me, but I decided to let her have the next spot {Please know that I am not taking credit for that! It was simply the Christ-like thing to do and Christ is the One who gets the credit!}.

We both were behind a lady who had decided that Black Friday was the perfect day to return a lengthy and very complicated purchase she’d made that involved the cashier having to sift through various items that were “buy one get one free” and “buy one get one half off.”

Immediately my mind was pulling me toward, “What is this woman thinking? Who returns stuff ON Black Friday?!” But I didn’t want to entertain that thought, so I remembered, “I don’t deserve anything!” This soothed me, but time was a-tickin’ away! Even the cashier knew this and urged us to go to two other close by registers to check out.

I did this and found that another lady who had been behind me in the first line was now in front of me at the next check out. Since I couldn’t accept that I’d “lost more time” 😉 by being a little slow-footed, I went to the next department to check out. Big mistake! Huge!! Mind you, I’m still trying my best to focus on Jesus being my shopping partner!

I got to the next department but didn’t really know where the end of the line was, since there were two sides to the check out and “a smattering” {whatever that is … it doesn’t sound good!} of people were here and there.

I asked the lady {who looked like the supervisor} where the end of the line was and she looked around and said, “Oh you’re good! Don’t worry about it.” Little did she know that I was trying my best not to worry by focusing on Jesus, “Who’s got this!”

It was the next person’s turn and the lady, that I was wondering might be ahead of me, stepped up to take her turn. Meanwhile the people on the other side were getting in line ahead of me, so that I was further back in the pecking order on my side—where I was “good” according to the supervisor!

But I’m still desperately trying to focus on the fact that I don’t deserve a closer, faster spot and Jesus is with me and I was enjoying His company! {All kidding aside, I was feeling comforted by this. I cannot tell you how much this would have gotten under my skin in any other situation! Yep, I’m a bit Type-A}.

However, my story is not through! The lady who was before me had a return {again with the Black Friday returns??} and this took a rather long time to get sorted through as well. This time the supervisor was realizing she’d kind of put me in a bad spot, because I’m still waiting and several people are being waited on over on the other side.

By this time, I’m humming “I Surrender All” in my head, although I’m feeling a bit more frazzled in my heart. But I do remember, “I don’t deserve anything!” And that “Jesus blesses me with His grace and forgiveness!” So I’m feeling more encouraged again, although, I’ll admit, it’s not my most joyful moment.

Finally I get waited on {happy, happy, joy, joy!} and I didn’t have the coupon that would save me a bit more, but the sales lady gladly took the extra amount off without me even asking for it {probably b/c she felt sorry for me}. Hooray for generosity!

I thought, now how much worse would I have felt if I’d lost my cool? And although they might have given me the extra discount to pacify me, here I was with the discount and a clear conscience to boot! Boo-yah!

It wasn’t perfect, but imperfect progress {like Lysa TerKeurst says}, which is a good thing too!

So maybe that supervisor was right! I was in a “good” spot after all!

Try to remember these truths the next time you feel stressed:

1. You don’t deserve to have things go your way.
2. Jesus loves you with His life and is walking with you through every trouble. He’s got this!

How did you do with the stress of Thanksgiving or Black Friday?

What snagged you up or dragged you down?

What helped you?

* I’m adding something of a clarification to this post, since someone brought this issue up to me privately – I think, in and of myself, I don’t deserve anything. But in Christ, I am His bride and valuable because He loves me and pours His value and redemption into me. This means I do NOT believe I am “worthless” (in case, that’s something you gleaned from above) but that I don’t deserve anything. Christ grants me forgiveness and I never earn it by my merit or good works. Therefore, it’s all about Christ’s work and not about me feeling I deserve anything. But, then, I also have a God who gives me all things! Yay, God!

Joining with my friends at  Works for Me Wednesday,  Wifey Wednesday,  Coffee and Conversation,  Wholehearted Wednesday,  Whimsical Wednesday, and Simply Said Mom.

Now it’s time for Wedded Wednesday!
Grab our WW Button Code here!

And don’t forget to include a link back here, because the easier people can find Wedded Wednesday, the more traffic I can send your way!

// <![CDATA[
document.write('’);
// ]]>