Why a Shop?
I was out last minute Christmas shopping with my youngest, Andrew. We made our way to the checkout line at Barnes & Noble and I admit I had way more to purchase than I had planned on getting when I arrived! The man behind the counter was an elderly gentleman… I always wonder what the story is behind why someone more advanced in years finds themselves working retail, especially during the holidays, but of course I didn’t ask and simply continued on casually preparing to buy my loot while maintaining an almost two year old who was burning through the cookie I had brought to keep him content.
“I like your sweatshirt”, the cashier said. “I wish more people were like that this time of year”, he added.
The hoodie I was wearing was an impulse buy that I found at Mardel in Frisco, TX. It was super soft, a pretty forest green color, and had a simple scripture on it: “Be still and know that I am God”.
He said he didn’t understand why some folks act impatient during the Christmas season and let consumerism get the best of them - the opposite of what Christmas should embody!
I don’t recall the entirety of our conversation, but in that moment I felt grateful for my hoodie choice. Such a small, simple interaction took place. I was surprised someone even noticed.
As I continued shopping that day, I found myself having conversations and interactions with many folks that were total strangers to me! It hit me.. that even in our social media saturated culture, people are still people and we are all hungry for real human interaction… It was refreshing and eye opening.
Circling back to my post title. Why a shop?
It’s one of those things that’s been tugging at me for awhile. Much like starting up this blog.
There are a lot of other apparel brands and shops out there that make quality Christian items. But I have had this desire to launch a line of merch that is a reflection of what Christ has done in my life. I hope to create merchandise that is beautiful, high quality, and very importantly, not cheesy! Christian “stuff” has gotten a bad rap for being cheesy or dorky, but I think done well it can spark wonderful conversations with others and even be a daily reminder to ourselves of the hope we have in Jesus.
It’s coming soon. And I can’t wait. 😌
