INSPIRASUNS

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I made our usual weekend trip to the grocery store. As we pulled into a parking space, my frustration set in as I noticed a cart just ahead of the space. It gets old that people can’t take the cart five feet further and put it in the cart coral where it belongs 😦 . Well…my frustration continued…A woman and her little boy were parked facing in front of us. She unloaded her cart into the back of her car, then pushed the cart up by the passenger door where her son had taken a seat. She buckled her son in, closed the door, pushed the cart forward a bit so as not to hit the front of her car, got in her side, and pulled away. I couldn’t believe it. Oh, one last note…she left the Hot Wheels package of the toy she had purchased for her son, in the cart for someone else to throw away. Ya, I wasn’t in a good place at that point.  I grabbed one cart, my husband grabbed the other and we made our way to the front door.

As I came around a car through the parking lot I noticed a woman in a handicapped cart trying to unload her groceries. I asked if she needed a little help. She turned to face me and I saw she was on oxygen, as she said, “That would be wonderful, thank you”. I unloaded her groceries into the car for her and she thanked me again for helping. Well, that helped my mood a little bit.

We made our way through the store pretty quickly and headed back to our car.  And…yes, I put the cart back in its corral when finished 🙂 .

As we were leaving my husband and I commented on the lack of simple respect these days. Why is it so difficult to do those simple respectful things? Put your grocery cart away, put your trash in a trash receptacle, offer to lend a hand when you see someone struggling, even if it’s just to put their grocery bags in the car for them. In each of these situations, doing the right thing is Christ at work. We are charged with doing the right thing each day, however minor we may think it is.

When we left the parking lot, a young man was sitting by the exit. He held a cardboard sign that said he was homeless and any gift would be appreciated. I didn’t catch the wording on the sign until we had pulled away. I told my husband I had some grocery store gift cards in my purse that I had just for this reason, to hand out to people in need. I don’t like giving cash, but have gift cards instead. He told me to turn around and give him one. We made our way back and I called him over to give him the card. He smiled and thanked us, “God bless you guys, thank you”.  As we left we looked at his bike, an older one that he had attached a little wagon to. I don’t know if he was really homeless, I don’t know if he really needed help, however, what I know is that Jesus asks us to love one another as He loved us.

Father took me from a place of frustration to a place of giving in less than 30 minutes. Yes, I’m still disappointed by those who didn’t show respect for others, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to show respect to others.

Friends, it’s just not that difficult to show respect and by default the love of Jesus to others. Taking care of this place we call home, taking just a moment to lend a hand to another, just asking simply if someone needs help, isn’t hard. We need to start seeing people again, we’ve lost that connection. So today, take a moment to notice those around you, and when you do, acknowledge them. A simple good morning might make all the difference to someone 🙂 .

Have a good day friends, continued prayers for sweet Emily Rea’s return.

Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.