Me and my son's favorite store
A few weeks ago, my little boy came up to me on a Saturday morning, stands at a distance from me..and asks , " Can we go to Target ?'.
This was unusual for him, he goes if I ask him, but he typically does not ask me. I ask, " Why ?'
He looks down at his Superman wallet in his hand, fingers through his dollars, and asks if he can go buy a giant Nerf gun he found in the Target Christmas catalog.I had seen him rifling through that little catalog, with all the coupons for weeks...and I told him he does not need anything because his birthday and Christmas are very soon.
He is turn explains that he has enough money, exactly 35.00 to buy a GIANT nerf gun , can he pleeaassee ?
I debated with him that 35.00 is alot of money, especially for an 8 year old.
Then I sat there and looked at him, think I am going to say No again, then decide I will take him and his superman wallet full of cash to get his treasure.
I know God gives me things when I do not really need them, so I can allow this too , I surmise.
I tell him to go cut out his 5.00 coupon out of the catalog , for the correct gun...and we take off with all that we needed.
NOT.
As I found out, but let me explain the process.
We get to Target, it is one of our favorite stores that seems to have everything any one or twenty people can ever need or want. We head back to the back of the store and the toy department.
The we see it, the Largest Full-Auto Nerf Blaster Vulcan EBF-25.
The treasure of a 8 year old
The box is almost 3 feet long, heavy and we did not have a cart so we both carried it all the way to the front of the store. Stand in line, place it on the counter...my little boy is getting more excited. The cashier rings it up, tells us it is 39.95. I look at my son, tell him to hand her his 5.00 off coupon. He reaches in his wallet, pulls it out, hands it to her...she scans it. Over and over she scans it.
Zilch.
Nada, nothing.
No discount.
She looks at it again, and calls a manager. They look at it and go , " Oh, you cut the numbers off under the bar code. "
I look at the coupon , look at my son, and tell then we will be back.
He almost starts crying, I reassure him the whole way home...no problem...we will find the numbers, tape them on..and get back today to buy it.
We get home, rummage through the trash..I do scold him a little for cutting off the numbers but only to make him aware of it so he won't do it again. It was so tiny, but we tape it back on...he is all smiles..and we head back to Target.
We go back in, get a cart this time...and head back to get another gun. We load that big thing in a cart, smiling ...we head back to the cashier.
We have his gun, we have his cash and his coupon !
All is perfect.
Not.
The cashier pulls the large nerf gun through, my little boy hands her is coupon...his superman wallet is open with his little fingers ready to hand her all his cashola...when the horrible words came...after she ran the coupon.
" This won't work."
By this time a man comes behind us in line , I mildly smile at him but he then gets the pleasure of hearing me tell her she better get her manager.
Dreaded words no one likes to hear the person in front of you say in line.
My son was getting his discount from their stupid coupon if it was the last thing I did that day.
A manager is called, she gets there, runs the coupon while I explain to her about this being our second trip, all the trouble, etc. The manager runs the coupon, the man starts getting a little antsy behind me...and she goes,
" We can't use this, the very last TINY number is missing, it is invalid. "
" We can't use this, the very last TINY number is missing, it is invalid. "
I told her, " No way, " nodded my head at my little boy , still holding open his Superman wallet...and said , " He is getting his 5.00 off. "
The manager then gets a bit huffy ( can't imagine why ), and says there is nothing she can do.
I get equally huffy...tell her I am POSITIVE she can, ask her if she has a code she can use, ask her if she has any catalogs in the back with more coupons ? She just stands there and says, " Nope. "
By this point the man behind me wants to give me the 5.00...I hold up my hand and say . "No, thanks."
I then turn to the manager and ask to speak to a manager. She retorts SHE is the manager.
I then get huffier and ask to speak to HER manager, the head store manager.
During all this last huffiness, the cashier is rummaging through her drawer in front of her, picks up a CATALOG, cuts out the coupon and uses it for the sale.
I stood there in disbelief, the WHOLE time this cashier has a catalog.
My son hands over his 35.00, the man behind me gets a little happier, and I help my little boy carry it...but only half-way to the car, as he was showing shoppers how strong he was to carry this giant gun.
I get in the car with a smiling 8 year old boy, and I tell him," You know what lesson that should teach you ?'
He says, " Be careful clipping coupons . "
I say yes, but also do not be AFRAID to stand up for what is RIGHT in this world. Do not back down , that God gives us power through the Holy Spirit , to stand strong for what is right.
He just looks down at his gun and smiles.
At home with his awesome gun
I'll bet also when we head back to Target they will see me coming and turn on the red lights in the back office area...Red alert..here comes Trouble.
Such is life.
I hope you have courage to always stand up for what's right, and always stand up for ' The little guy ' in this world who cannot stand up for himself.
God is our enabler, Jesus is our advocate.
Many blessings,
Gina
" And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, the He may abide in you forever--
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither knows Him; for He dwells with you and will be in you. "
John 14:16,17
