I spent some time in my nearby Jos A Bank store yesterday morning. One of my Christmas presents was a Jos A Bank Traveler's Collection oxford dress shirt, blue with very small white checks. (In case you're interested, my size is 15 1/2- 34!) There was a slight problem- I already had the identical shirt. Jos A Bank has a customer friendly return policy so I knew it would be easy to swap, even though my gift was purchased in a different location. I ended getting one with the identical pattern only the blue background is replaced by tan. I plan on wearing it on our first day back to school which is Tuesday. You have to show off the Christmas clothes!
There was an anxious moment at the store on Saturday, though. When I walked in, I didn't see Silvia. Another sales associate asked if they could be of service but I asked for Silvia. The gentleman told me she was in the back and went back and told her a customer was asking for her. Big relief for me! You see, I don't go in unless Silvia is working. I've even found out her schedule- evenings from five until close and Saturdays- I'm pretty sure when she's available for my fashion consultation. She knows my sizes and the clothes I've bought and what I like. She makes suggestions but she makes me feel like I'm in charge of the decision. We talked about the holidays- she filled me in on her two sons and two grandchildren and I told her about my travels to Kansas and Arkansas. I feel like she's family. Right before Christmas break, we were coming back from a game and I needed to check on a back order so I took in the three sixth graders with me- Mallory, Sydney, Lizeth- and introduced them as my daughters. Silvia loved it.
Let me say that the other folks who work at this Jos A Bank location are terrific- I just feel comfortable putting myself in Silvia's care. What's interesting to me is that she simply was the first person who waited on me during my first visit sixteen months ago. I think there's a lesson for us as believers. People aren't attracted to Jesus because of advertisements or programs or services- they are attracted to Him because of Christians who take an interest in them and their lives. There is invariably a relationship involved. I heard an interesting story on a religious radio station yesterday. The preacher related how he met a guy through their son's Little League and he taught him about Jesus. When the new friend was ready to be baptized, some objected to the preacher baptizing the man as that was the domain of the Baptism Team, something I've never heard of. The minister rightly made the point that he had the relationship with the man and would do the immersion. I'm not here to go off on a tangent about baptism but to remind us that the two men had something in common- sons and baseball- before it got around to Jesus. We can be so much more effective if we remember that being like Silvia can attract the lost to The Lord. You see, Silvia knows not just what I need and also what's good for me but she lets me move at my own pace. Maybe she should write a book on soul winning; I'd buy it!
Applicable quote of the day
“I wear brown shirts to protect against the combination of coffee and clumsiness.”
Jarod Kintz ( from This Book Has No Title)
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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