God Loves these people

Has the Holy Spirit ever convicted you right in the middle of your thoughts in a strange place? Today we went to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a fascinating place to me. I see pictures online of "Wal-Martians" and sometimes I do have to giggle. Or wonder, "Are these real?" In our Wal-Marts, though, I see all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds running the full spectrum of skin tones. It's pretty common here to hear at least 2 languages at any place. Sometimes at Wally World you can find even more. Today seemed to be "Sunday go to town" day. I thought these folks must have come into town from the country and assumed most weren't terribly bright that fit that category. Here's my first conviction (by God, not the law officer): It may be true, but I knew somewhere in my heart was the other part of that, the one that says, "I'm glad I'm not like that." ouch.

Then we went to the Dollar Store. I thought, "This is for those who haven't quite reached Wal-Mart level yet." Mind you, I am right there with them in the store. Maybe they were thinking the same thing about me! I walked down the aisle & passed yet another mullet-wearing-tatooed-all-over-his-body-in-his-wife-beater-shirt-guy and THAT is when the Holy Spirit really convicted me. I guess you could say He spoke to me, but it wasn't over the P.A. system or anything. It was inside of me. My next thought was, "These are the people Jesus loves."

Amazing that I could sit in church and listen to God's Word taught and sing praises to my Lord then so quickly want to turn my nose up at anyone who isn't like me. I should be shouting, "Hallelujah no one else is just like I am!" It would be a sad world if we were all the same.

Easter is coming. Good Friday has to come first. That dark day Jesus died on a cross to bear my sins. He wasn't guilty of anything. I was. He also died for the Wal-Martians and the Dollar Store shoppers. Praise to Him, Easter came soon after and He ROSE from the grave conquering death and separation from God if we just trust in Him as our Savior. Maybe I should spend this week praying that if any of those shoppers don't know Jesus that this Easter that will all change.