up for review

Shopping for shoes, clothes, or just about anything else with four bambini in tow (or even one if that one isn't in the mood to shop) is rarely easy or expeditious.  That's why I do a lot of online shopping for everything from apparel to household items.  Many online retailers now offer the ability to post reviews of products one has purchased, which I find immensely helpful when I am perusing the wares.   Positive or negative, these reviews are major factors in the decision-making process, especially for something sight-unseen. 

For example, I have been weeding out the well-used plastic sippy cups, plates.  I'm  looking for sustainably-sourced, well-made (ideally by people who work for a company respectful of its employees) replacements that won't leach toxic chemicals or end up in a landfill not too long from now.   Recently I ran across some tempered drinking glasses purported to be kid-friendly (as evidenced by their use in French cafeterias) even though they are glass.  Of them one reviewer wrote

 "I have four boys and a clumsy wife.  They break glasses all the time.  I was thinking of buying [another brand of glass tumblers] and I ran into these.  I read some of the reviews and one of them convinced me to try these. WOW. They are perfect."  

Sold.*  
God bless that clumsy wife.

The world's largest online marketplace isn't the only website offering reviews.  Plenty of online retailers do now, including those hawking shoes, apparel, and just about everything else.  Man on the Street testimonials like "I'm [yay] tall and weigh [x] number of pounds, and a size [q] fits great on me!" are far more convincing than the advertising copy when you happen to have similar measurements.

Whenever possible I try to learn from other people's mistakes.   Factoring in the opinions and experiences of others when considering a purchase (online or otherwise)  or researching companies I'm considering hiring to provide a service at our home (such as to our air conditioner) is sort of like that.  We have to keep in mind, however, that not everyone has the same expectations, standards, or objectives for a product.  What I would consider fine quality might be junk to someone else, and vice versa.  What others might consider a great book to read with their children as evidenced by their glowing reviews of the tome, I might find to be a "dud" (or worse).

As much as we rely upon each other for help in making decisions not only about online shopping but about anything in life, allowing others to make decisions for us is a risk to recognize and avoid.  Ultimately, we are responsible for our choices, decisions, and behavior.  When taking advice from others, let us look to trusted sources, most especially to those who help us remember our identities as children of God and encourage us to behave as such.

We can't reclaim the time, money, and energy spent on things like drinking glasses and apparel that are not that important in the grand scheme of things.  We can't take these things with us at the end of our earthly lives, nor do they define us as people.   Other people's opinions should never matter more than the Lord's opinion of us and the ones we hold of ourselves by way of a conscience informed by study of God's law and the precepts of our faith, prayer, and discernment. 

In the final analysis, we will each undergo a review of sorts.  The choices we've made and the work we've done may or may not be graphically rated on a scale of one to five stars, but the love we've given and the willingness we've shown to align ourselves more closely to Christ each day can only help recommend us to the Father. 

*I haven't actually purchased the drinking glasses yet, but if and when that day comes, I'm going for the tumblers that withstood four boys and a clumsy wife.