This is how it started....

This is how it started.....

I answered the phone at our business. This woman asks if we have any rosaries left from Christmas and if they were on sale. I put her on hold, went to that area and saw no rosaries. I told her that we had sold out and did not have regular rosaries right now. I then saw the rosary rings that are popular sometimes. She asked how much they were and I said $1.99. Then she asked how many do I have and I told her about seven. Then she said, I just wanted to tell you that you are one expensive store and she hung up on me. I was flabbergasted because $1.99 for this heavy metallic rosary ring is a good buy. Besides wouldn't she have said that before inquiring to how many I had in stock. Confusing. I just thought... takes all types to make the world go round. Then I thought about it some more and realized that I would rather be a substitute teacher all day for hormonal middle-schoolers then deal with the Christian customers that we deal with . That is sad. Christians are supposed to be different from the world.

This is how it started.....

When I finally made it to our business after my long DMV visit, I had to run bank and post office errands. My goal today was to finish the ceiling in our children's room. I have been working on this for a few months off and on. The ceiling is ugly and we can not afford to have it redone right now. I have taken blue vinyl and glued it to the ceiling then cut cotton batting and made clouds. It looks real cute but was incomplete. I was supposed to finish it today , which eventually I did but was interrupted so many times from starting. After my errands, we had lunch then my employee had lunch. So now it is 2:45 and I have done nothing. The customers that did come in or call were mostly regulars that stop by or call to chat. Lets just say I think all of our customers did that today. Finally at 3:45 , I went back to that room and knew I had a step-stool in there. I could not find it. My mom came in and started laughing. One of our regulars had come in and taken my step stool so that he could see to get to the top of some of our shelves. He is rather short. I waited another 30 minutes for him to finish. Then when I finally got the stool back, another regular came in just wanting to chat to me. I just had to chuckle thinking , finishing is not meant to happen today. It did finally happen and is 99% done and then I ran out of adhesive. What a day!
People think that a bookstore is all about money and profits. Yes we need that to survive but our store is definitely about ministry. I think of all the people that either called or stopped by today to just talk. Some of them did purchase things. Some of them did not. Some of them are mentally ok but lonely. Some of them are a little off balance but think we are their world. I just pray that our business will take in enough to sustain us to be there for all these people. It made me realize the true reason we re-opened and that is to continue to minister to the community. I just need to figure out a nice way to let them know that I do have work to do. I also know that a few had heard I was going to be there this week and wanted to stop by just to see me because I am rarely there for any amount of time anymore. I am there for a few minutes here and there. Do I want to go back into it full-time? Oh no, it is like going home for a visit. It is great for a while but then it wears out. I enjoyed seeing , chatting and catching up but I don't want to be there everyday. I want to be a light for the world in other ways now ... teaching our children.