A Tale of One Closet

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The incident with the side mirror on Saturday delayed another planned activity, a trip to a department store on our route home. I have been on the lookout for a pair of black pants that fit and a black skirt without the weird spot that has shown up on mine. You’d think a spot wouldn’t be noticeable on a black skirt, but it is and multiple washings have not gotten it out.

A couple of months ago, I discovered that this particular store, located a couple of hours from our house, has the best petite department I ever remember seeing anywhere. Since I look like a sack of potatoes in most things that aren’t petite, it was a welcome discovery, and I have wanted to go back. Knowing that we would be later getting there than we had planned, we agreed to stop for just one hour.

I found one black skirt and several pairs of black pants to try on. After learning that they were having a sale with 50% off the clearance price, I tossed some $5 to $10 sweaters and tunics in the cart to try on, too.

I have learned to be a very careful clothes shopper, trying to buy things only in my best colors and styles. This was a rare occasion because I found many possibilities. I asked Ray if he would mind if we added one more half hour. He agreed and I headed for the dressing room.

I turned my hair into a staticky mess in there, before I went to the checkout with one pair of black pants — the skirt didn’t fit — and a pile of Ray-what-do-you-think bargains from which we chose a few.

As Ray and I stood side by side, while the saleslady rang up my few purchases, another customer said to Ray — not to me, but to Ray, “How many closets does she have?”

I know you aren’t supposed to answer for other people, but I did. Stinging a little on the inside, but calm on the outside, I replied, “One, and I share it with him. I do have some ball gowns in another closet because we are English country dancers.”

My pile of rejects and flurry of quick decisions must have given a certain impression to the other customer. She didn’t know we had been delayed by a fender — I mean side mirror — bender. She didn’t know that it is hard for me to find clothes that fit in colors and styles that look best on me. She didn’t know . . . .

Well, that is just the point. She didn’t know. Not knowing is one of the reasons we shouldn’t judge.

As a mama, you make many decisions. Some people aren’t going to understand them or agree with them, because they just don’t know. I encourage you to make those decisions prayerfully and to stand firm in them because those other people who judge you just don’t know. And when they do judge us, Jesus has told us what to do then: pardon them and we will be pardoned, too.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged;
and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned;
pardon, and you will be pardoned.”
Luke 6:37

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