I came to Dallas today to spend Christmas with my family at my sister's house. This morning I was lacking a lot of presents...so I, being the brilliant shopper that I am, decided to drive up here first, then go shopping. The road up was good, traffic was much lighter than I expected. I arrived at the shopping center at Lewisville and was delighted with all the deals I found. But, while I was waiting to check out at different stores, three different people cut in line right in front of me. 
    They all did it sort of same. They sidled up beside me, looked at me out of the corner of their eyes several times, then pretending that I wasn't there they just walked in front of me. I was shocked to say the least. The first time it happened I was reminded vividly of something that happened earlier this year: I was visiting my sister in preparation for Micah and Natasha's wedding. We all went to Krogers to do some shopping. While we were waiting to check out we were all standing there talking. Suddenly a lady came up behind us, squeezed between us and the counter, and got in line behind the person that was being checked out.
    I was so shocked I said, "Well, EXCUSE US."
    Immediately the lady looked up and said rather pointedly, "Are you in line?"  
    "Yes we are."
   "You were all just standing there gabbing." This last she flung over her shoulder as she went to the next counter.  
    After she was gone the others who were with me looked at me with shocked expressions. Turns out they thought I had been rude. I wanted to excuse myself saying that I had just been so shocked by her behavior. They all agreed that she had been rather rude, however they also agreed that my response had been less than gracious.
    In another instance a short time later, the exact details of which I have forgotten, something very similar happened. Again someone did something I thought was rude, I responded in a less than gracious way, and those who were with me kindly brought my own inadequacy to my attention.
    So today as I stood in line and watched that lady cut in line I was shocked. But I also guarded my lips. Then I smiled, not at her, she never even looked at me after cutting in front of me. A little later, same store- different trip, a couple did it too me. Again I was shocked. By now I started thinking that maybe God was trying to teach me something. Recently I told God that if there was anything that I needed to learn before He would allow me to get married then I wanted to learn it fast. I decided that maybe these Christmas Eve line-cutters were another class in God's School of Hard Knocks. By the time it happened the third time I was convinced. As I smiled at the clerk, who actually saw it happen, I thought I heard my Teacher say, "Well done son, go to the head of the class."
     I wonder if being pleased with my own progress in one area is going to trigger a whole new class that I'll have to pass before I can get married?
      Another thing- when I told Ruth about these incidents she said that nobody ever cuts in front of her up here except when I am here. That begs the question: Am I invisible? Or do I have "Country Bumpkin" written all over me? This is going further than I really want to go....
    So let me go to the head of the class by wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas! And remember- next time we go shopping please don't cut in front of me, I've already learned that lesson. I'm ready for a more spiritual one now.

Merry Christmas.