God "bought" me jeans today!

I absolutely HATE shopping for clothes! This hatred travels back to my childhood. Growing up in a small farming community meant shopping in a tiny town. I distinctly remember Ross's Clothing store and Sears, which was largely a catalog establishment, being the only choices for clothing attire within a 1/2 hour driving distance. The average sized girl could fit into most of their stock of clothing but I was NOT your average! I received the nick name "string bean" in high school for a reason! (Even now, as an older adult, I have a friend who calls me "long tall Sally") So as you can imagine the length of my arms and legs are a bit beyond the normal, in fact 2 inches beyond the "normal"! That presented, as it still does, a challenge when trying to fit into long-sleeved blouses and long pants of any kind. As I reflect back on those days of shopping with my mom I feel sorry for her.  How it must have hurt her as I constantly complained about the lack of any selection that would properly fit me. It certainly was not her fault that my Dad's structure (6' 4"), built for basketball, fell on a young girl who played the clarinet and wanted just to fit into the styles of the time. It was never a problem that went away and to this day it still haunts me. Yes, there is online shopping but companys continue to cater to the average physique, especially in the department stores. 

With this background you can better understand my experience today. I needed jeans for the fast approaching fall temps. Recently I have added on a few pounds, for me a good thing, but that rrequires a size change in pants. With credit card in hand I decided to "tackle" the mall. 

As an added note, with my advancing Parkinson's Disease my left leg has weakened causing some minor foot tremors and muscle spasms making walking a painful challenge. So to walk from one store to another hunting down the perfect fit is sometimes more than I can handle. Yet today I knew it was time. So while driving to the mall I asked God to help me find some jeans that would "fit the bill". In fact I carried on quite a conversation with Him about the struggles I face when shopping. I realize He knows all about this issue but He quietly listened anyway. 

My first store was The Gap. In past years I have been able to locate some clothes there, even though I cringe when I pay the bill. (Thankfully I have a husband who totally understands my problems and always says "If it fits, buy it"!) Well, today NOTHING in that store fit! Since the price tags were $80 and up I didn't feel too badly about leaving with no packages. I ventured out into the middle of the mall, gritting my teeth as I hobbled down to Penny's. By the time I faced the Lee section of jeans I was in pain. To further frustrate me I could find no longs and all the jeans were a jumbled mess. I actually sat down on the floor in despair when I noticed a pair of jeans just thrown on a pile with a tag hanging off the shelf that read 6L. I wondered could they possibly be anything I would want or fit into? 

There is another issue that I also face. I am picky and want my clothes to feel good as well as be somewhat in style. So could these "stray" pants actually be what I need and even want? OK, go try them on. I almost trembled as I slipped into them and faced the mirror. They fit, they looked good, they were the perfect color. YES! I quickly took them to the checkout counter not even looking at the price tag. When the clerk rung them up she did a double take and looked at me and said WOW, what a deal. They were originally $48 and now on sale for $15! I couldn't speak except to repeat WOW. I paid the bill and began walking outside when I suddenly realized these jeans were from God! Tears ran down my cheeks as I opened the car door and sank into my seat. God knew my struggles and met me at my point of need in such a beautiful way. I had asked for His help and He produced the answer to my problem!

On the drive home I pondered the fact that the God of the universe cares about the very details of our lives. Jesus said in John 16:24 "Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." My joy is complete today as I experienced His marvelous provision for me!