An Unglued Story

Another busy week of family life was drawing to a close as we slid into Friday like a stolen base. The week’s adventures had featured a broken arm for my oldest son and though we were supposed to head out of town for the holiday weekend, he needed a cast first. Since the beginning of the day, the clock had seemed to be ticking faster than usual and I knew in order to accomplish all that was needed, the pace for the entire day needed to be quick.

One particular errand had been thoroughly planned. The item had to be picked up, couldn’t be ordered, and there was only one store that carried it. Down to just one child this trip, I could foresee an in-and-out kind of deal.

My sweet 3 yr. old daughter and I ran in to the Christian bookstore. I had even called ahead of time so that the items would be ready for us at the counter. We took a short walk to the back corner of the store just so my girl could see the latest in Veggie Tale fashion. She was fine with a quick look and though it was past her nap time, I was so proud of her behavior. We headed towards the checkout and with no one in line in front of us, the cashier asked if she could help.

May I pause here for a moment to tell you that this cashier looked newer than a brand new shiny penny? The look of “Yes, today is the first day I am working the cash register alone” was stamped on her forehead.

I stated, “Hi! I have an item on hold and I’m here to pick it up. Last name is….” At the word “hold,” this sweet cashier began to stare at her computer screen and typed vigorously. She looked. And looked. And mumbled to herself.

While waiting for her, I see my items on the counter behind her and say, “OH, I think those are my items right back there,” as I point behind her. She picks them up and stares at the last name for two minutes before giving up entirely on the pronunciation.

“Are these yours? ok, then,” and she scans the ticket.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to tell her that I only reserved one of the items; I didn’t need the second item.

My up-to-this-point-entirely-sweet three year old, Tarah, has made a discovery of a very pink Princess Bible. While Tarah is picking up Bible, the cashier is still fumbling. I’m telling Tarah that she will have to put the Bible back because we’re not buying it today. She has one EXACTLY like it at home that she sleeps with every night. I remind her of this. At this point, she decides to remind me that she is still a preschooler. And can throw fits. And she proceeds to throw a HUGE fit, where she stands there holding her precious Bible up in the air and screams. At the top.of.her.lungs.

After the cashier figures out how to take the second item off the bill, she scans the remaining items and proudly announces the total. At which, I present a coupon. She confidently scans the coupon, but the computer does not give the correct total. When I attempt to point this out, she shrugs her shoulders and says, “hmmm. not sure what to do about that.”
Oh boy. Tarah continues to scream. I’m thinking of my pastor’s sermon illustrations where he speaks of watching misbehaving children in grocery stores….

By this time, a line of customers has formed behind me. My baby’s coming unglued in front of all three of them and the cashier doesn’t appear that she ever had any glue holding her head together to begin with. I’m stuck in my mind thinking, “You do not want to fall apart in the Christian book store, Rachel. Next to church, this has to be THE worst place to come unglued.” I then reflect on my plan of action as reiterated to me the night before during the Unglued webcast. The only thing I could remember in the moment of desperation was “Invite the Holy Spirit into your situation.” So I begin begging the Holy Spirit to do something. Anything.

About that time, the Holy Spirit spoke through the form of an older gentleman customer. He says to me, “She’s got a good set of lungs!” Ok, maybe that wasn’t the Holy Spirit, but I think he was truly wishing he hadn’t turned his hearing aids up quite so high that day. The gentle African-American woman behind him is smiling at me and says, “Oh, sweetie. That’s so precious- she just wants a Bible.” And yes, Lord have mercy, my baby girl was shouting “I WANT ONE. I WANT ONE!” Over and over again. Further back in the line, a dear elderly woman stood. And she just smiled at me, with the most sympathetic eyes. Eyes that said, “I’ve been there, tired mama. Hang in there.”

FINALLY, the cashier figures out the coupon after deciding to use her phone-a-friend lifeline. I pay and continue holding my screaming child who has heard “You are in so much trouble, Young Lady,” whispered in her ear several times.

We head out of the store, leaving a trail of sympathy behind, only to add to my daughter’s ferocious screams, the electronics alarm goes off. As I turn back, I see the store manager, waving me on with a smile, as if to say, “Truly, we don’t want you to come back right now.”

I buckled my girl in her car seat, while she continued to scream “I want my Bible.”

And I took her home, put her in bed, kissed her forehead and said, “You need to go to sleep.”
She then cuddled up next to HER Princess Bible she always sleeps with and like an angel, closed her eyes.

You won’t believe what my Christian bookstore purchase was.

The Unglued DVD!

Join us in Columbus beginning Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, 7 pm. Details HERE. We’d LOVE to have you!