I don’t get out a lot. Really, I’m serious. I live in the woods, ten miles from town, which is only about 1300 people. It’s THREE hours to the nearest big town, the nearest McDonalds (didn’t know that was possible, did you?), the nearest movie theater, the nearest MALL. So, a shopping day for me means getting up at 6am, piling into the car (which has to be unloaded of all the junk in the back end – and don’t tell me you don’t know what I mean – the sports gear, the empty soda cans, the old spare that still hasn’t been put back on it’s rack --), gassing up the tank (there goes half my shopping budget), stopping at the Java Joint, and driving through the mist that filters off the lake, eyes peeled for deer. By the time I pull into the Mall, I’m already exhausted. But my to-do list is two pages, college-ruled paper, both sides, so I am a woman on a mission. I don’t dilly. I don’t dally. I aim, and shoot, and there is no deviation from the goal.
I’ve begun to hate shopping. Because, at heart, I’m a meanderer. I live on ideas. And that’s what shopping is, really, the trolling for ideas – (ie, hey, that’s a cute outfit, I think I have a shirt like that at home, but I never thought of wearing it like that before – or, “hey, would this sixtie’s style blouse look remotely good on me?”) There’s the home décor ideas, and the shoes, oh the shoes! And yes, I mentally assess every woman my age who walks by, checking out her clothes, shoes, handbag, hair…just in case it might look good on me, too.
I like ideas. So, when I got the chance last weekend to head down to the MALL OF AMERICA with a girlfriend for a serious idea gathering weekend I expected to return home full of new outfits, real or imagined.
I didn’t realize that God would turn it into something spiritual. After all, it’s just shopping, right?
So, my girlfriend and I are good friends – we’ve gone camping together and go to the same church, even hang out for “chick night” as our husbands call it. But we’ve never road-tripped before and I didn’t know how we’d do for a long time together. (And it’s not because of her, but because although I LOOK like an E (as in extrovert), I’m really an I (introvert) that sounds like E. I need my I-time).
I wanted us, however, to have a fabulous time. So, I prayed about it.
We made it to our hotel, and then to the Mall and I was in Mall Heaven. Because we are both accustomed to the Sniper approach to shopping (as opposed to the buckshot, meandering approach) we headed straight for DSW for boots. Two hours later, we came out, (armed with seriously great, non-North- Shore-Woodsy boots). But the meandering spirit had set in and we drifted. Ah, I love drifting. We finally docked at Coldwater Creek. I tend to be more of an Old Navy and Gap girl, but in the window of CC, we spotted a beautiful red suede jacket and it drew us in like a lighthouse. We both headed for the rack, and grabbed our sizes and tried them on. Mine looked good…a little baggy in the back. But hers looked fabuloso, hitting her just right. And with her dark hair, it looked stunning on her. Oh, I liked that jacket.
“Mine doesn’t fit right,” I said, putting it back.
“Try mine,” she said, handing over her petite size. Normally, I’m not a petite gal, if you know what I mean. But I tried it on.
And it fit. And looked great. NEARLY as great as it looked on her.
And right then I knew, I’d have to choose. Red Jacket, or Friend. Because, of course, it was the ONLY red jacket in that size in the entire store.
Red Jacket. Friend. Red Jacket. Friend. “Take it,” she said.
Philippians 1:10 talks about us being rooted in love (God’s) so that we will be able to choose what is best, filled with the fruit of righteousness… Summed up, it means that knowing who we are in Christ allows us to pass by all the “good” things in life in pursuit of the excellent. It also means that it will produce fruit (ie, kindness, unselfishness…) in our lives.
I looked at the jacket. I looked at my friend. And I remembered my prayer. Had God given me this moment to choose the best? Good would be buying the jacket. BEST would be seeing it on her every week in church, remembering the fun we had together.
I lost the duel (but she says I can visit the jacket whenever I want). But I gained laughter and tease and a friendship that survives even shopping. And maybe that's the best outfit of all.
Susan May Warren is a former missionary to Russia and lover of great stories. When not penning riveting (I hope!) suspense novels for Tyndale and Steeple Hill, she can be found in Minnesota, drinking coffee and dreaming of shopping. SANDS OF TIME, the sequel to her award-winning IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING with Steeple Hill hit the stands in October. Stop by MEET NICK for a glimpse at her newest book (out in Jan!). Read more about susan at her website or stop by her blog!
I adore Coldwater Creek clothes - classic styles that are still fun. :o) Oh I can feel the angst over that jacket. Hmm, I think maybe I'll meander up to my CC sotre and see if they have one. After all, we don't live anywhere near each other, right?
Posted by: Ane Mulligan | November 15, 2006 at 06:00 PM