I had to make a run to Walmart and I got to the parking lot and it was pretty full in the area I like to park. I saw a space and just as I turned in, I saw that someone had left a shopping cart right next to where I was trying to get my car in. I got out and moved it, parked and then just took it with me into the store. My attitude was soured at the thought of the laziness and really selfishness represented by that cart left just a few steps from where they are supposed to be returned. But as I got into the store, it was like I entered the land of kindness! Everyone I encountered was nice and polite…and so my attitude changed and I joined in. It is not often that one talks about how much fun it was to be at Walmart! I was nice and polite too and I thought of one kind thing that I could do for my folks at home. We love McDonald’s diet cokes. That sounds silly, but they have done some things to make their fountain cokes more carbonated and so as a treat, one of us will get one for all of us coke drinkers at our house. I had checked out and went to the McDonald’s in the store and ordered my cokes. I got them and took them in a carrier back to my shopping cart. I realized that I had not left room in the place where I usually wedge the drinks in the cart and I tried to balance the full load of cokes and start to move things around. Suddenly two small hands just appeared in the cart, moving my goods to make room for my drinks. I looked over and there was a little old lady of Mexican heritage creating a space and with a wonderful smile and an explanation totally in Spanish, she took care of me. I thanked her for her kindness and help and she just smiled and waved like “that’s just what we do for each other”. I left the store, put my goods in the car and took my cart back to the parking lot rack and then grabbed another one that had been left out in the lot. The Apostle Paul wrote about kindness and simply said for us to be kind to each other, tenderhearted and forgiving to others. He said that God has been kind to us and forgiven us. Now we can demonstrate the love of God by simply being nice to people. They did that for me and especially my “angel” who rescued me at the end. There were no spiritual declarations made, no Biblical rationales pronounced…just people being kind and tenderhearted to each other. I loved the way God worked that out for my heart too. So even in the little things, look out for folks and find a way to show love to others and in doing so, we could start a chain reaction of God’s love to each other…even in places like Walmart. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (32) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ
Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. (32) Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Remember, I’m praying for you today….
PJ