Tomorrow, we pack away all the items that didn't sell in our after-Christmas clearance sale.  We've marked it down in three stages over three weeks.  As time went on and selection dwindled, the savings got bigger and bigger.  But, eventually, we have to move on and get whatever remains boxed up to make room for the new merchandise.  The Valentines.  The spring.  It's time to freshen things up and that's what we'll do this weekend.  Such is the cycle of retail. 

Today, I condensed the remaining Christmas items down to one little table and it hit me how we can, sometimes, treat people like stuff.   

There are a few people who may seem to be hot commodities.....like the stuff that sells at regular price.  Sometimes, it's wanted even before it's unpacked from the box good.  They're in high demand, these people.  We seek to have them in their lives.  We're drawn to them.  Like looking at a hot item in a store, our heads are turned maybe by their looks, their quality, their usefulness, their label....or maybe just because others are crowded around them.  Sometimes, we can mistakenly put a lot of people in this category by what we see on social media.  Their lives look flawless.  They seem to have millions of friends surrounding them.  Rejection doesn't appear to be a problem in their lives.  They're always the feature in the front window display.  Coveted by many.  Always wanted.  And we treat them differently because of their high demand and popularity.  They're put up toward the front in a place of prominence where everyone can see.  We realize they can do a lot for us.  They really draw in a crowd.          

Then, there are people who have to do a little more convincing as far as we're concerned.  Sure, they have some great traits but they don't always catch the eye right off the bat.  Maybe they're nice but we don't really see where they're much different from what we already have.  They're just average. I mean, we want to get where there's high demand not mediocrity.  Maybe they don't really jump out at anybody.  They're just sort of standard issue......like us.  Kind of like the stuff that takes a little more arm twisting to sell.  They don't always make the cut but, with a little extra effort, we recognize their value and take them into our lives.  We're almost always glad we did.  They can become some of our greatest treasures.  Good quality stuff just without all the bells and whistles.      

And, sometimes, there are things that we just give up on and box up for storage.  They sit around and sit around and not one of us stops to look at them or pay them the least bit of attention.  Nothing that they have to offer is seen as a benefit to any of us who come in contact with them.  Maybe we notice that no one else is drawn to them and so we back off.  Others try to pawn them off on us but there are no takers.  Nobody feels that they're worth the price that's asked of us and so they're ignored and left behind.  Onlookers may think the buyer made a big mistake with their purchase.  They may wonder what He ever saw in them.  No one is drawn to the reject. The misfit.  The failure.  And, so, none of us will ever know what they have to offer.  Or what a blessing they could be to us.  Or what a blessing we could be to them.     

I was thinking that all of that stuff/people have one thing in common.  The store owner paid a price to buy them all.  He saw something in them that was loveable and endearing to Him and He wanted to take them home and so He paid the price to make that possible.  He paid the full amount for both the ones that flew off the shelves with their sparkly charm and the ones that got crammed back in the box because no one ever saw any worth in them......but Him.

In this new year, I hope that I'll make a more conscious effort to treat people like they are valuable.  Whether I'm wowed by their charisma or if they just blend in with the background, God paid the bill in full for both of them and all the ones in between.  If He saw something that was beautiful there, maybe I will, too.  If I stop long enough to really look around instead of just window shop.   

I hope y'all have a great weekend.