Tis the Season to be Grateful

Like many of you, I have spent this week preparing for the big day tomorrow while trying to be mindful of my many blessings. Sometimes, in the busyness of the preparations, I tend to forget the reason behind why I'm doing all the work in the first place. At moments it seems like a lot of work for a result that is instantly consumed and quickly forgotten.

Last night however, God gave me a BIG reminder of what a little work can do. For the last two months I have been boycotting Walmart and Sams. If you know me, you know it's been a sacrifice...a BIG one. I have done the majority of my grocery shopping there for the last eight years. I know the store like the back of my hand and they know me.

When the news came out that they were actively lobbying to change legislation to redefine marriage, I had to do something. I tried to ignore it...pretend I didn't hear it. but I just couldn't. What infuriated me even more was when they publicly said it didn't matter what their Christian clientele thought. In essence they said that Christians don't stand up for what they believe and their business would not change.

It made me mad that they said that. It made it worse to think that they were probably right. I know some bold Christians who get out there on the front lines about issues that are important to them, but for the most part we sit around and wait for someone else to do something.

This time I was determined not to sit idly by and wait. I boycotted, signed petitions, prayed every time I drove near it (which is often multiple times a day) and told everyone I knew why I was no longer shopping there. Not much, I know, but a lot for me at this point in my life. It's been killing me. My one stop shopping trips turned into runs to two or three stores trying to find what I needed. The time I spent in those stores was longer because I didn't know where to find everything.

And last night it happened. I was up late when my mom called and gave me the good news. I didn't believe her until she put dad on the phone and he read the statement from the AFA about lifting the ban.

I was so excited I could hardly believe my ears. In fact, I'll admit, I was hopping a little. And, believe it or not, it was not all about shopping at Wal-Mart. A victory has been won. In a world that at times seems to be so dark and getting darker every day a little ray of light has broken through. A major corporation has seen the error of its ways (and the dip in their revenue) and turned around.

It may seem like nothing but it's not. God is showing us that He is still in charge and we can make a difference. It should give us all the motivation to pick a cause and fight for it. Can you imagine if Planned Parenthood did the same thing one day?

With God ALL things are possible! Yeah God!