Steve & Barry's

Why is shopping such a challenge? It wasn't even the fact that I attempted it w/ my 3 children while they were off of school. Which, by the way, I don't understand. Had it been next Friday we would have had 1 extra day in Florida....ok back to shopping.....

This was my second trip to the BRAND NEW STEVE & BARRY'S.....the first time did not go well. After searching and trying on several items while trying to keep my 5 yr old son happy, I found what I wanted. $60 worth of clothes (alot of clothes...great deals...very inexpensive...I am all over that!) The customer service was in need of an injection of ....happiness. We were the only ones there. It was hard to find help and I was greeted at the register with a minor hand motion...no words...no smile. Now I understand bad days like the rest of you. This is a brand new store though.....OK it gets better. I hand over my Visa Gift card...They don't take it!...now they take Visa, they take debit cards, they take their gift cards...but NO Visa gift cards.....so there I left the entire 45 minutes worth of clothing and I walked out.

One week later I am thinking about that $5 long sleeve white t shirt that I have "needed" all winter. I ignore the fact that its EIGHTY degrees and I have THREE children with me and head across town, like an IDIOT.

Gee...long lines at the cash registers, I think to myself. WARNING....don't assume its because there is no school and it is an inexpensive BRAND NEW store that caused the lines. After trying to "relocate" the clothes I did not buy last week (no luck except the T shirt...praise God), I head to the long line...."its ok" I say to myself, they have several cashiers. HA HA HA HA HAAAAA. No the computers were down and they were HAND WRITING receipts. People had 10-15 items....I had THREE children with me ....then I heard words that almost made my head explode..."CREDIT CARDS MAY BE FASTER"......AHHHHHH I HAD CASH. OK breathe...breathe....breathe. The woman behind me mentioned she had tried to return her items 4 times and left the store....I told her she should call it a wash and just leave the stuff there. The refund was not worth the insanity.

God is GREAT though. One of my spiritual mentors came into the store. It was like an angel descending from above to keep me from losing it.

So I got my $5 t shirt and the kids got a few things and we left. We won't be back. It is not worth the drive or the "savings" to get my blood pressure up or the temptation to cause me to "lose my Christianity" . Sorry Steve sorry Barry. But that is how I will rise above that. You know the life lesson here is deep: sometimes trying to take the cheap way out of things isn't always the wisest!

I also know this promise: Romans 5:3-5(NIV)

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.


So I considered this a spiritual agility test. So actually, thanks Steve & Barry God used you today to build some character in the Shea family!!!!

PS:I hope you don't think I am criticizing, (see prior post), this was just my honest experience. And remember constructive criticism can be a good thing :)