Okay, this actually happened a couple of months ago but I’m just now getting around to writing about it because… well, you know me, life got in the way. So, you see, Ms. Spooky and I were in the grocery store shopping and had just finished and headed to the checkout line. We got behind this little old lady who only had maybe 20-25 items in her cart and was half way through checking out so we guessed it would be quick. Well, we were wrong. The cashier rang up the ladies purchase and told her the total. Now apparently the lady was on a fixed income and was also using some type of government assistance card. Anyway, the little lady swiped her card and it was denied. So she fumbled through her pocketbook and came up with some cash. The cashier helped her count it out and the whole time the lady was apologizing for holding us up and making us wait. We just told her it was quite okay and to take her time. In the end, she was around $30 short of being able to pay for everything so she started trying to decide what to put back. She had tears in her eyes and was really embarrassed. I told the cashier to not put anything back but to ring it all up on my bill and let the lady take it with her. But to my amazement, the lady refused. She said she couldn’t do that and that it wasn’t right and started crying harder. She paid for what groceries she could and then left the store.
We talked to the cashier about that whole last part. She said she thought that the lady was really embarrassed that she couldn’t support herself and that it embarrassed her even more that I tried to help her. Is that where we are today? When we reach out a helping hand to someone who needs it and they are too embarrassed, too proud to take it? This lady was probably in her 70s easily. I am quite sure in her 70 plus years on this mortal coil, she has reached out and offered a helping hand to someone in need. But now, when she needed it she couldn’t accept it because of her pride? I hope that I get a chance to help her again one day. That I get a chance to show her what Love 4 One Another is really about and that she will accept it this time. After all, we only get a few chances to make a difference in this world and we have to take advantage of them when we can. If you can make a difference in just one person’s life for just one moment, then it is truly a good day!
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