Friday, March 21, 2014

The Unexpected.....

Welcome to Shug's place......





It is my desire to write something that will make you happy that you visited here today!!!

So....today, I'll just write from my heart.   

Yesterday was just like any other day......the only exception was that I woke up with great anticipation of going shopping  all by my {happy} self.     {and I did}

Needless to say, after about 30 min of intense looking.....I found myself very discouraged!  "Why have I gained so much weight?"  I think I even said to myself...."This is pure ignorance!"

I was totally MAD.....all because....the twenty-five pounds that I have gained, was preventing me from being able to find the new clothes that I had intended to purchase.  

Dress pants, tops, Capri pants, even casual wear......None of it was working!!  It's not that the clothes were not working, it was all the extra bulges that was causing the problem.

Just as I was about at my wits end......a quick thought came to this wonderful mind of mine.   The "Woman's Dept." Yes, this would be the answer!   {NOT}

Really now....... Was I being to picky?   Or, did the pants that gathered up like a pair of baggy sweat pants look too hideous?



But......you know what?  God's timing was totally, smack-dab in the middle of my adventure.   I was suppose to be in that dept. of the store at that exact time!!

As I was shopping, a sweet lady was shopping at the same rack that I was preoccupied with.   I heard her make a comment about how she had gained about 30 extra pounds and was having a difficult time finding clothes to wear.  She then proceeded to tell me that she had gained her weight all within the last year, after the death of her son......her only son!  

My heart immediately ached!!  At this point a door for an unexpected conversation opened wide.   It's as if I could feel the pain in her heart and I knew that I had to somehow speak words of encouragement to this lady.   

At the end of our conversation, she told me that the anniversary date of her son's death is coming up... next week.  I could only encourage her to pray for strength and to focus on the beautiful memories that she had of her only son.    I assured her that she and her husband would be in my prayers.  I will be praying for their comfort and peace.

What God showed me was that here I was complaining about my weight gain and feeling all frustrated and mad.
I gained my weight by having the pleasure of cooking delicious meals for my family every day for the past 10 months.   

This lady had a totally different and justifiable reason to gain the weight that she had gained.  Do you get what I'm saying here?  Even though I'm not happy about my weight gain, I do have so much to be happy about!!  Much to be thankful for!!

Thank you Lord for this opportunity that you placed before me!!

Shug ~

13 comments:

  1. I was shopping for bras yesterday by myself. It was a horendous experience as I've gained weight too but it's taken me years to do it and I feel so discouraged that I refuse to shop for new clothes because the size scares me. However...I am so glad that woman ran into you and that you allowed her to talk and comforted her. And you were blessed in the process. Yes, our problems lose credence in the light of other's problems. I'm so sorry for the lady. What a terrible thing to go through. Glad you let the light of Christ shine thru you and that you shared it with us.
    After shopping I had lunch at the Chick-fil-a that went in last summer in the city near us. It really blessed my heart to hear those words, "have a blessed day" from my server. Not many places to go to hear that. The words we use can make a big difference to people. Like yours. Thanks Shug!

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  2. Shug,
    Isn't it interesting how God changes our perspective? It is good that you were open to Him and that you ministered to that poor mother.

    I wouldn't worry about clothes...they are mostly so ugly these days. I remember drooling over the ads in magazines and news papers for dresses, coats, sweaters, tops, shoes. No more. I have to "settle" for clothes these days. Do you know what I mean? :o)

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  3. I love this testimony!
    God is so faithful. He is faithful in your words to that grieving woman...and he is faithful to heal her heart!
    ...and He is faithful to heal your heart too and change our hearts. He doesn't think your feelings about weight gain are any less important. But He just gives us what we need to see more clearly.
    I liked this.
    Have a great day and thanks for sharing your story.
    Hang in there...
    Pat

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  4. Hi Shug!

    Isn't it funny how God will place us in just the right spot to serve, help and love people?!

    Perspective is the key word. You hit the nail on the head when you said that you have had..."the pleasure of cooking delicious meals for my family every day for the past 10 months." We are so fortunate, love handles and all!

    I know that the woman you met felt better about life when she left the store! You have a natural way of making us feel better!

    Big Hugs,
    Barb

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  5. You were where God wanted you to be and then were obedient to Hs directions. What an encouragement this story is! The weight becomes much less of an issue when put in perspective like this.

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  6. Oh Sweetie---I know how you feel, and I spent so many years ignoring my looks and buying the baggy pants and big shirts (trying to hide the inevitable)... My weight problem was never because of a tragedy or catastrophe or sadness in my life. I just LOVED (LOVE) to eat---still do... In fact, I've gained about 5 pounds --which I need to get off. Luckily the HIKING does it for me --and I lost 2 pounds this week... Need to do that more often...

    God Bless You, my friend. Enjoy your life --no matter what size you are.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. Wow. If that wasn't a God thing, then I don't know what is. You were meant to be there to offer comfort and encouragement at that exact moment. How utterly amazing is that? Thank you for sharing your God moments here on your blog. :)

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  8. Hi Shug!!! I am so glad to see you again! You always either cheer me up or tell me something important. Things always seem better when you put them in perspective, don't they? What a message!

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  9. It is interesting where the Lord places us.
    Sometimes we just need a little nudge.

    M : )

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  10. What a guiding light you were for this lady!

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  11. I feel for you and know what you're saying with the weight issue! Too bad about the lady and your last sentence says it all!

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  12. Shug, I feel your pain. I put back 15 of the 20 that took me MONTHS to lose a couple of years ago. I feel so much better without that extra weight... still I eat myself fat. And, I do not have that dear lady's excuse. Oh, bless her heart. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child, let alone your only child. May God give her and her husband comfort as only He can.

    I'm going to have to get back on the diet if things ever settle down. Still, we have much to be thankful for... blessings ~ tanna

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  13. Shug..Oh, isn't God amazing how he works in our lives? He puts our lives into prespective doesn't he?

    Blessings,
    Gert

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Thank you for Blessing me today with your comments...

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