Alone In the Dollar General

This past weekend, I sent my eight year old son into a Dollar General store . . . alone.

There should be nothing to that. When I was eight, it was nothing for me to ride my bicycle down to the A & P grocery story or Brown's Pharmacy in Cedartown, GA, to pick up stuff for my Mom.

But times have changed. People have changed. Kids have changed.

It bothered me to send him in there alone.

He and R. had gone to the same store earlier that day so he could pick up a water gun. Patience is not one of the lad's strong points and having decided that we must not be going to get to swim this year - he set his sights on the purchase of a water gun. After all, a kid just has to have some means of getting cooled down in this relentless April heat.

He soon learned that his purchase was a dud. When he filled it up, it wouldn't shoot.
I tried to prime it and pump it, we were visiting with R.'s family and they tried to get it to operate - all to no avail.

Now back when I was riding my Western-Flyer Stingray with the Banana seat and raised handle-bars, if the water gun didn't work, you were only out about 39 cents. Now they are $4.00 - and those are the inexpensive ones!

So Lesson #1 was when you put out good money for a product don't settle for less.

It just so happened that I was on deck for the next kid transport - so I had to take him to take it back. Mom had already set up the expectation by telling him that he would have to take the water-gun back.

I was the one that decided to let him do it alone.

So as AA and his sister and I neared the store, I went over with him what he should say and how he should look the cashier in the eye when he was talking.

Then I sent him in, while Ab and I peered through the window from our vantage point in the first parking spot next to the door.

I have felt compelled to do that with him. He is the youngest child and I know from experience that that slot does not build in a lot of self-confidence. Your always in the shadow of that over-achiever eldest child. So I send him on his own but then like Peter and Jesus . . . I follow at a distance.

Ab and I waited for what seemed like quite awhile, as she pointed out that she never got to go in stores all alone.

Finally he returned... all smiles and sporting another water-gun. This one worked.

I was proud of him and I told him so.

I don't know - maybe people send their 3-year-olds in the store alone - I don't know - but it was a first for us.

I have thought about how Christ does that with us sometimes. He let's us feel like we are just dangling in the wind - all alone. He does it for good reason... maybe to teach us how to trust Him.

If He is like me, He doesn't enjoy they waiting either. I bet He longs to jump in and rescue us quickly and with a mighty flourish.

AA emerged from his test all smiles and with a notch or two of extra confidence.
I hardly think God wants me to learn to trust in me more - but rather His tests teach me to trust Him.

So when I survive what I thought was unbearable, I too can emerge all smiles and run to Him.