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Because to be reachable, we must be teachable <3

 I have worked retail at different times in my life and consistently for the last eight years in our little downtown area.

I love retail; probably because I love shopping and hey…it’s like a ball player getting paid to do what he loves, right?

Plus working with the public is just a slice of life and a never ending source of stories and I do love the stories, you know…

I am also a student of human behavior (probably a part of the story-lover in me) so it’s a win-win all the way around.

Now keep in mind that having said all that does not mean tending to shoppers is always a joyous, rewarding and laugh-a-minute experience.

Oh my.

No.

There are just all kinds of moods and dynamics and personalities to be encountered and each time the shop bell rings, it’s a grab bag guess as to how the next few minutes will progress.

But there is one type of shopper in particular I have been thinking of while finishing my second read through of Proverbs this summer.

This is the shopper who comes in the store and right off the bat announces a desperate need for assistance in making his or her purchase.

While some people ask this and are sincerely wanting advice and help, we do encounter another type of shopper who basically pleads for us to partner with them in their quest…

and then proceeds to quickly negate every single suggestion as quickly as it is delivered.

As in, almost before we get the whole thing out of our mouths.

We typically land on about three attempts with this type of customer and then will feebly suggest a gift certificate as we retreat to some other task.

Because this conversation is starting to seem pointless.

Well, that, and the fact that we are afraid we will voice the question burning on the tongue….

Why did you even ask me for ideas????

And to be fair…

I can tell you….

I have done the exact same thing above in reverse when I have been the customer…which brings me back to Proverbs.

Because Proverbs is all about seeking God’s wisdom and then listening and following it and often we are like that customer I just described.

He gives us wisdom and we come back with reasons why that just won’t work for us in our situation.

We have excuses and rebuttals and are basically unteachable and unreachable yet we continue to ask Him for wisdom and then wonder why He doesn’t answer.

One of the points of the book of Proverbs is to remind us that to be wise, we need to be open in our minds and hearts to HEAR and to APPLY God’s instructions to us.

He won’t force them on us, but He most assuredly dispenses knowledge and discernment to all who come to Him ready to listen and learn.

As we approach God through the reading of His Word and prayer and asking Him for direction, let’s keep our own preconceived notions of how He will teach us set aside so that we can truly gain the wisdom He has promised to those who seek Him.

 

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