Stereotype On Aisle 1,2,3…

Maybe I shouldn’t find it amusing. I walk in a local office supply store to buy some supplies for mailing pictures to my clients. I wasn’t familiar with the layout of the store so I wandered up and down several aisles untilI found what I wanted to buy.

I noticed a man who seemed to be on every aisle I went to, and he was behind me nearly the whole time. My past experiences as a 20 year police veteran caused my tin-star senses to tingle to alert me that I was being followed, cased and marked for a take-down by the burly man who followed me who I marked as a loss prevention dude for the company.

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.” — Romans 13:3

My first instinct was to whirl around and ask big guy the reason for following me. I thought, nah. Then I thought to lead him all over the store as I had something to hide (perhaps the big package of shipping envelopes). Instead, I reflected on Romans 13:3.

I wasn’t worried and I remained at peace because I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I didn’t have any fear of being arrested, but if by chance I was wrongfully accused, that God would bring out the truth on my behalf.

It is a joy to be able to walk and drive around not having my head on a swivel and dreading contact with authorities. When we obey God’s word, there will always be someone who will be a witness to our good works and glorify the father.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:16