“Never tire of doing good." ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:13
Janae stood at the end of what
seemed like an endless line at the grocery store. She checked her cell. Exactly three minutes had passed since she
last checked an hour ago, or so it seemed.
The cashiers were doing their best, but progress was measured in
millimeters.
To prevent further self-pity, Janae shifted her attention to
others in line. A sublime compassion
quickly washed over her for the mother trying to keep twin four-year-olds
entertained.
Mom was doing her best, but boredom was about to detonate. One of the girls walked over to a candy
display, gazing back over her shoulder to gage her Mom’s reaction. The other sister remained by her mother’s
side, ready to bolt depending on Mom’s response.
Instead of the expected
authoritarian voice that Janae would likely have used in this situation, Mom
did something curious. She squatted down
to eye level, looked at the child testing her patience and calmly asked her to
come back.
She rejoined her family and retreated behind her mother.
The line had barely moved, so Janae decided to try and help.
“Have you ever played ‘I Spy’?” she asked the girls.
Two pairs of eyes looked at her as they considered her
question. Not the same fun as hopscotch
or hide 'n' seek, but OK for now.
Soon the children were engrossed in their own
imaginations. They noticed things in
that store Janae would never have seen.
Who knew that Kroger offered over 200 gift card varieties,
or that fragrant bouquets are located near the store’s entrance to encourage
impulse buying, or that favored kid items are placed at their buy-level on
shelves?
Janae also noticed a ripple effect. People who’d been grumbling at the wait, now
enjoyed ‘spying’ two sweet sisters encourage and help each other find unique
things in the store. Time flew!
Soon, it was their turn to check out. Janae took a moment with Mom. “You did a great job back there,” she said. “I was so impressed that you didn’t just hand
them your phone.”
Mom smiled. “I’m a kindergarten
teacher, so I have other tricks up my sleeve than resorting to a mobile device.”
She laughed and added, “Thank you for
stepping in!” Looking down at her twins,
she added, “You were our blessing today.”
Be a blessing to someone else today. Your words or actions will be felt by them and
seen by those around you, amplifying its effect. By sharing your goodness with someone else,
you lift them up. And they’ll likely pay it forward and do the same for someone
else.
Father God, You never tire of keeping me
safe and blessing me with abundant care.
Let my heart beat with humility and servanthood. Keep my eyes and ears open today for even the
smallest opportunity to serve You, to make others smile, to bring some joy to
this troubled world. Amen
