UNPLANNED TRIPS TO THE GROCERY STORE IS NOT MY FAVORITE THING BUT FROM TIME TO TIME I HAVE TO MAKE THAT RUN. I ALWAYS PLAN TO BE IN AND OUT MOVING “100 MILES PER HOUR” THOSE TIMES.
THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR TIME A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK MY YOUNG ADULT SON WAS WITH ME AND HE HAD TO GET SOME ITEMS FROM ONE OF THE SUPER STORES IN THE AREA. IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND YOU KNOW HOW CROWDED THOSE TYPES OF STORES CAN BE DURING THAT TIME. I WILL BE HONEST I WAS NOT TRYING TO WALK AROUND AND GET COMFORTABLE AS THIS WAS AN UNPLANNED TRIP FOR ME. I WANTED TO BE IN AND OUT AND I KINDLY ADVISED MY SON OF THIS AS WE WERE PARKING LOL.
SO WE GO IN AND HE GOES ON TO GETS HIS THINGS AND I PICK UP A COUPLE OF ITEMS AND WE MEET BACK UP TO GET IN LINE AS PLANNED. I TOLD MY SON TO GO AHEAD OF ME SO HE CAN GET SERVED FIRST. THE LINE WAS NOT TOO BAD BUT I WAS ALREADY ON THE NEXT THING WE HAD TO DO ONCE WE CHECKED OUT. MY EYES WERE ON THE CASHIER LOOKING TO SEE HOW FAST SHE IS RINGING THE CUSTOMER’S ITEMS UP. BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME SHE WAS NOT HAVING A GOOD DAY AND THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING ON. SHE FINALLY GETS TO MY SON. SHE DID NOT SAY GOOD AFTERNOON….. AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE BARELY LOOKED AT HIM. SHE JUST STARTED RINGING HIS ITEMS. MY SON FINALLY SAYS TO THE CASHIER, “HEY SO HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING? HER ATTITUDE CHANGED IMMEDIATELY. RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES I SAW GOD WORKING. YOU HAVE TO KNOW MY SON. HE IS SUCH A LOVER OF PEOPLE AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE HE KNOWS. HE CAN CONNECT WITH ANYONE IMMEDIATELY (MY HUSBAND SHARES THIS GIFT AS WELL). HE HAS NO PROBLEM STRIKING UP A CONVERSATION OF GENUINE CONCERN FOR A PERSON. HE WASN’T TRYING TO HIT ON THIS YOUNG LADY NOR DID SHE TAKE IT THAT WAY. AND HONESTLY I CAN’T REALLY SAY HE NOTICED SHE WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. HE WAS JUST BEING HIMSELF ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO WORK THROUGH HIM. I SAW FRUSTRATION AND ANYTHING ELSE SHE WAS DEALING WITH BREAK IMMEDIATELY. BY THE TIME SHE FINISHED MY SON’S TRANSACTION HE TOLD HER TO ENJOY THE REST OF HER DAY. AND DO YOU KNOW WHILE SHE RANG MY FIRST ITEM SHE SAID SO HAPPILY HI HOW ARE YOU TO ME! I SAID HI I AM WELL.. HOW ARE YOU? NOW I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO HER REGARDLESS BUT GOD GAVE MY SON THE GRACE THAT DAY TO BRING FREEDOM IN THAT MOMENT. THIS CASHIER HAD NO IDEA MY SON AND I WERE TOGETHER. SHE DID NOT SEE US INTERACT…WELL BECAUSE WE DIDN’T INTERACT WHILE WE WERE IN LINE. I WAS WATCHING HER AND USING MY PHONE. SO, I KNOW SHE WASN’T BEING NICE BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT SON WHO ASKED HER HOW HER DAY WAS. WHEN WE WALKED AWAY, I HEARD HER SAY HI TO THE NEXT CUSTOMER BEHIND ME.
TO SEE MY SON SELFLESSLY MAKE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO BRING LIFE TO SOMEONE’S DAY TRULY BLESSED ME. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE GO PLACES IN A RUSH NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE AROUND US WHO ARE SERVING THE PUBLIC? THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE I KNOW OF WHO TRAINS THEIR EMPLOYEES TO SERVE WITH JOY AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK.
MY SON TOTALLY NAILED IT THAT DAY. HE ALLOWED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO WORK THROUGH HIM BY ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION. AND THAT OPENED THE DOOR FOR HER TO SERVE THE NEXT PERSON AND THE NEXT PERSON AFTER THAT WITH JOY. WE CAN BE SO BUSY SOMETIMES (OR SHOULD I SPEAK FOR MYSELF) RUSHING TO GET TO THE NEXT THING THAT WE DON’T TAKE THE TIME TO BE IN THE MOMENT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE OKAY. IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT HE DID NOT KNOW HER. IT DIDN’T MATTER THAT IT WAS HER JOB TO RING OUR ITEMS UP, SHE STILL DESERVED TO BE NOTICED AND SHE STILL DESERVED TO BE FREE FROM WHATEVER WAS BOTHERING HER THAT DAY.
THOSE WHO PROCLAIM THE NAME OF CHRIST HAVE HIM LIVING ON THE INSIDE. WE HAVE THE OVERCOMER OF THE WORLD AND THE OVERCOMER OF THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS LIVING INSIDE OF US. THAT POWER THAT LIVES INSIDE OF US WORKS OUTSIDE THE 4 WALLS OF THE CHURCH. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS POWER 24 HOURS A DAY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY ALERT BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW. WHAT IF THE CASHIER THAT DAY WAS TELLING HERSELF AS SOON AS HER SHIFT WAS OVER SHE WAS GOING TO END HER LIFE. WHAT IF SHE FELT LIKE SHE DIDN’T MATTER. WHAT IF SHE LIVED WITH PEOPLE WHO NEGLECTED HER OR ABUSED HER IN SOME WAY? WE DON’T KNOW BUT I AM SO GLAD OF THE INCONVENIENCE I HAD TO RUN IN THAT SUPER STORE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SATURDAY AFTERNOON SO THAT MY SON COULD ALLOW THE LOVE OF JESUS TO SHINE THROUGH TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDED HIM. THAT MOMENT MADE HER WHOLE DAY AND AFFECTED HER ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE REST OF THE CUSTOMERS SHE HAD TO SERVE.
WILL YOU PAY ATTENTION AND LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING THE LIGHT OF JESUS PERSONALLY TO SOMEONE YOU NEVER MET THIS WEEK? IT COULD BE A KIND WORD, PAYING FOR A COFFEE, HOLDING THE DOOR OPEN FOR SOMEONE, PAYING TOLL FOR THE DRIVER BEHND YOU. THESE THINGS ARE ALSO CHARACTERISTICS OF WHO JESUS IS. HE WAS A GIVER. HE GAVE US LIFE THROUGH HIS DEATH. HE LOVES EVERYONE AND DIED FOR ALL. HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT CONCERNS US. WILL YOU BE THE ONE THAT WILL PLANT THE SEED?
GO AHEAD….MAKE SOMEONE’S DAY.
PRAYER: LORD THANK YOU FOR YOUR POWER THAT LIVES INSIDE OF ME. THANK YOU FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY YOU GIVE ME TO WAKE UP EACH DAY TO SHARE THE LIGHT OF YOUR LOVE TO THOSE WHOM I NEVER MET AND WHO DO NOT KNOW YOU. I RECEIVE YOUR COURAGE TO WALK IN BOLDNESS TO DO ALL YOU HAVE COMMANDED ME TO DO IN THIS AREA. AMEN.
SCRIPTURES:
Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP)
14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].
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