If you go to the grocery store or shopping mall, you will likely be tested to see just how patient you are. Finding a parking spot can be an adventure as oblivious individuals will walk in front of you car, others rush to get the last close spot and the lazy leave shopping carts in parking spaces to make your blood boil. When you finally locate a cart, trash is often left in the bottom, filled with expired coupons.
As you make your way into the entrance, speeds vary, like a Nascar race going 4 wide into a corner. However, the fast lane isn’t always the left, requiring zig zag maneuvers to navigate your way to finish your check list. Non planners talk on the phone the whole time, stopping right in front of you without warning. Meanwhile, the carefree window shoppers, seem to block your intended route every other aisle. Courtesy separates the naughty from the nice, in a hurry to get to no where, as the self absorbed carry on, going as fast as possible.
Today, I failed the shopping test, bickering, complaining and talking to myself the whole time. My idea of shopping is like a quick splash and go on pit lane, trying to stay out in front of the crowds. Instead of enjoying the journey, impatience has made by grumpy, frustrated by a lack of urgency demonstrate by my fellow shoppers. On my way out to the car, the Holy Spirit convicted me of Philippians 2:14-15. Although I didn’t directly voice my beefs, I was naughty, not shinning the light of Christ as God calls, Matthew 5:13-16. See where your patience falls on the Shopping Test Scale.
Level Attributes Meter
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1 Calm & Relaxed Pleasant
2 Sarcastic & Slightly Irritated Okay
3 Rolling your Eyes / Frustrated Selfish
4 Gossiping / Grumbling Angry
5 Ignorant / Rude Naughty
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Where do you fall on the scale? Any thoughts on how to become more patient?
by Jay Mankus
