A precious friend changed my new mom life one day when she showed me where to find the Clearance sections at Target. I was -and still am- a loyal customer of that mega one-stop shop. I like to think that I would have eventually figured out the system, but it was a memorable moment when Shelley Sneed pointed out that Target had end caps in each department that collected and displayed the Clearance items. She also explained how the seasonal items would be marked down following holidays. If I could be patient, I would save money on things that I bought anyway. Eureka!
OK, let me admit that I have a marketing degree, but business school does not teach you how to be a smart consumer. In college, we studied strategies on the pricing and presentation of goods and services in order to make a profit. But my friend taught me how to patiently wait for the sale items and where to find the deals in my favorite store. The latter was the more important lesson for this stay at home mom.
Sometimes we do the same things over and over never realizing that there is a better way. Sometimes we shop the same aisles over and over, never seeing the Clearance aisle. Sometimes we say the same hurtful things over and over, never hearing our family asking us to stop.
Today I am praying for God to give me the right words and the right heart with my children. I need to talk to them about some needed changes in our routine. They need to take on more responsibility, and we need to limit the time on media devices that has been slowly increasing since Christmas break. (This is a seasonal procedure. It is once again time to tighten the reins.) In my head, I sound frustrated and angry. When God speaks to my heart, I hear Him say that I can address the situation and pray for them to have the power to obey. He also reminds me that I have allowed the media time because it was convenient for me at the time. Ouch!
His voice of correction filled with love. That's the voice He wants me to offer the Crawford kids.
