March 10: Contentment When Treated Unjustly

CONTENTMENT SCRIPTURES

Hab. 3:17-19 Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls, 

Yet I will exult in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 

The Lord GOD is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments. 

Psa. 138:8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me;

Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands. 

CONTENTMENT IN GOD

God controls history in general and our lives in particular. All good as well as suffering are under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God. Both have meaning and purpose in His eternal plan.  He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good. (Jerry Bridges)

[excerpted from Contentment: A Matter of the Heart by Karen Horsey / Karen's Kreations]

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I am sitting here pretty much stunned by the treatment I received yesterday at an old, reputable shoe repair shop in our city.  It's a shop that we have referred others to for quality work at a reasonable (not cheap) price.  Well, I picked up a pair of shoes for my husband which looked great and also picked up a small purse which had had two spots on the front where the leather had worn.  I had dropped it off about a month prior to this and   had requested that my purse not be touched if they could not match it since it was a Coach handbag.


To make a long story short, all the owner did was rub the spots enough to remove some of the color from the surrounding area of the spots.  One spot looked pretty good but the color around it was now faded. The other spot did not look good at all and the color around it was ALSO faded.  I gently told the  man that I was not satisfied with the work and that the purse looked worse now than it did when I brought it in.   I then explained to him what I had originally asked him to do.  He went into a tirade for about 5 minutes (seemed like 15 or more) actually yelling at me that he had done good work, the best he could do, and ended up telling me to take my business elsewhere.  I couldn't believe this was happening.  He is 80+ years old AND a Christian (or so he says) so I didn't want to yell back so I said nothing but paid him the $10 and left.  My son who was in the car with his iPod on said he could hear him yelling at me (I was picking up at the outdoor walk-up window.)  


On the drive home I was getting pretty angry but also had hurt feelings.   I told my sweet husband about it and he offered to pick up dinner.  :)  Cooking was therapeutic though.


Anyway, this morning I am calmed down and trusting God with the events of yesterday.  I do believe Romans 8:28, so I am resting in that truth.   That man must have had a bad day although it was a shame for him to lose our business. I noticed on his website that there has been other rude behavior as well.   I  honestly have no idea why he behaved with such hostility toward me.  I guess this was a test for me to hold my tongue and not lash out in anger at him.  Thankfully, the purse only cost me $2 but it was a Coach purse in an unusual color that I had intended to use myself or sell it on Ebay. I've never had one before.  I still may try to list it once just to see if it will sell.  When you get lemons, try making lemonade...