Window Shopping,Retail Therapy and the Coupon Queen
I usually enjoy shopping. Especially in a mall or plaza but my favorite place is the Christmas Tree Shoppe! And I have one real close to my house. I don’t enjoy food shopping as much because….well, it can be frustrating. There’s too much to think about like meal planning.
I’ve studied and discovered that there are three types of shoppers. A Window Shopper , 
is someone who goes to a store just to pass the time. They like to browse and get ideas with no real intention of actually buy something. We all probably do this when we are on vacation and go into one of those “gift shops” and gasp at the price tags. Just looking, thanks.
Another type of shopping is called Retail Therapy. This person is in a bad mood, trying to avoid a situation at home or is just plain bored. They really don’t NEED anything except to get out of the house. They are just looking for something yet nothing in particular. But there is great satisfaction in a good buy, great sale or finding an item that they might need happens to be on clearance.
The third type of shopper is a Coupon Queen! These people know what they want and are very intentional about getting it at the best price possible. They make a big investment in time searching for sales, clipping coupons and searching for special deals. There is great joy in saving money and getting extra bonuses. They share their deals with friends. (I like to buy one, get one free and give it to the food pantry. Thought I would just throw that in).
I’ve also discovered that people can have these views when it comes to Christian living, like attending church, reading the bible and praying. The Window Shopper – is just visiting to see if there is anything that might catch their interest. There is no intent or purpose. They feel no need for fellowship with God or others. They are just browsing without taking anything to heart or home. 
The Retail Therapy person comes to God when they have a problem or need in their life. Or maybe they come to church out of habit not really expecting anything. It is a great joy to hear special music or hear a guest speaker that makes them feel good. They kind of pick and choose aspects of the Christian life according to various situations or circumstances.
However, the Coupon Queen manages and invests her time in prayer, bible study and fellowship with other Christians. She enjoys learning something new from God’s word and shares answers to prayer with friends. Listening to Christian music or reading a good book adds joy to the day. She shares her “great deal” with others.
The Bible is the best guidebook for life: 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalms 119:105 (NLT)
It offers comfort in hard times: 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”John 14:26-27 (NLT)
Know you are valued and loved: 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin ? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matt 10:29-31 (NLT)
The Bible offers eternal life: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)
Eph.2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
What could be a better deal than our salvation? It cost God everything. But it is a free gift for us. All we have to do is receive it.
In this New Year, will you invest part of your busy schedule to read and study the Bible? Will you put more time into the eternal rather than temporary bargains of today? If you do, your life will be filled with a heart full of joy, peace that passes all understanding and love that knows no limits. What kind of seeker of God and His Word will you be in 2018?
Celebrate the Child
