Misunderstanding

 

My wife bought a dress at Hamrick’s Tuesday, but when she tried it on that evening, it was too big.  No problem.  I took the dress back for an even exchange Wednesday morning.  I found the dress in a size smaller.  Success of my mission … or so I thought.  When I stepped up to the cashier, she said, “We’ll process the new dress first and do the return next.”  No problem … or so I thought.  She scanned my receipt, scanned the tag on the new dress, and then scanned the smaller size dress.  Then she said, “That’ll be $2.”  I was puzzled and said, “But it’s an even exchange.”  She said, “You used an e-coupon to purchase the original dress, and there isn’t enough balance to use your e-coupon on the smaller dress.  That’ll be $2.”  I was even more puzzled, and said, “But if you take off the original dress FIRST, there should be enough to use the e-coupon like my wife did last night, and it should be an even exchange.”  Now it was her turn to look puzzled.  She thought for a few seconds and called out, “Katie. I need an override!”  And the manager (Katie) stepped over.  She said, “What’s the problem?”  And I had to go through my story from the beginning once again.  Now it was Katie’s turn to look puzzled … but only for a moment.  Then it dawned on her.  She looked like a lightbulb had turned on in her head.  She said, “Oh!  No problem.”  Then she typed in her identification number and went back up to her perch behind the cashiers.  My cashier smiled at me and said, “We’re even.  Thank you.”  And handed me the new smaller size dress.  Sometimes we look at a situation one way and someone else will look at the same situation another way.  Each view may be valid … in the eyes of the person who holds to that view.  Often, it is difficult to see the situation from the other person’s view.  We need to understand them.  We need to step out of our shoes and step into their shoes.  Paul said that we should not judge one another.  Rather, keep your own opinion to yourself.  Romans 14:5, “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”  After all, I am accountable to the Lord and you are accountable to the Lord.  Neither of us are accountable to each other.  Hey, mind your own business, and I should mind my own business.  Let’s get along and both serve the Lord, our Master.