It Is Waiting There For You (The Blue Dress)

Almost nine years ago, I was out shopping one day for a dress to wear to my son's First Holy Com- munion. What I really wanted was a short-sleeved, tailored, T-shirt dress in royal blue. I had never seen such a dress. It was just something that I thought would be really pretty. What I found that day was a skirt and jacket suit in the right color. But, I didn't like how it looked on me. I thought the outfit made me look old and frumpy. I had recently lost a lot of weight, and I wanted something more flattering. Plus, the suit was a lot more money than I wanted to spend at the time. But, because I had my heart set on royal blue, and it was the only thing I found at the department store that came anywhere close to what I was looking for, I bought it. I decided to get some lunch at the mall before I went home. While I was eating, I was thinking about the suit and how much I really didn't want to spend that kind of money on something about which I wasn't all that crazy. I was feeling a bit discouraged and decided that I would return it after I finished eating. Go to Penney's I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me. At this point in my life, I knew that I had been given the gift of hearing from God, but I was still reluctant at times to act on what I was hearing. I was always very cautious to discern whether what I was hearing was from the Holy Spirit or if I was just imagining it all. I decided to check it out. What I heard as I walked toward Penney's was It is waiting there for you. I went directly to the women's department and found the dresses. I heard It is around the corner waiting for you. By this time, I was wondering if I was crazy. As I walked around the rack to the other side, I could see a tiny piece of fabric sticking out from between the other dresses. It was royal blue. I felt a shot of adrenalin fill my stomach. I pulled out the fabric that was squeezed tightly between all of the other dresses. I was shocked by what I was seeing... a short-sleeved, tailored, T-shirt dress that was royal blue. Unbelievable!!! I looked at the size. My hands began to shake. It was MY NEW SIZE!!! Then, I looked at the price tag... $9.99. It had been marked down from $80 and was more than $100 less than the suit that I had just bought. I stood there in the middle of Penney's completely stunned. I hurried to the ladies' dressing room and quickly tried it on. Of course, it fit perfectly. I loved it!!! I took it to the cashier and said, "I can't believe it. This is the EXACT dress that I wanted. And, I can't believe that it is only 9.99!" She looked at me like she had just seen a ghost. She was just as shocked as I was and said in disbelief, "I just put that on the rack!!! Someone had returned it from a catalog order. That's why the price is so low. There is nothing wrong with it, they just changed their mind." We both stood there speechless for a few moments. Needless to say, I have tried very hard over the years to listen to what God tells me. I usually do, and things work out great. But, when I don't, I end up regretting it. God often says to me My ways are not your ways. I've written before "when will we give up the fight?" God knows and sees all. He has a much clearer picture of things than I do. It is sometimes a struggle to put my own wants and desires aside to seek God and His Ways. But, when I do and I trust Him, things always work out for the best. God and His Blessings are always "waiting there" for me, and They're waiting there for you, too!