I was tired and cranky. A long day at work had worn me out and I was ready to come home and rest. Before I left work my husband called and told me that he was not feeling well. He asked if I would stop by Wal-Mart and pick up medicine for him. The sweet wife that I am I dragged myself to the store with hopes that I would be in and out. My hope of a speedy check out was crushed, when I saw a mile long line at the pharmacy. My cranky mood just got worst (at least I am honest, right?!) as I anxiously waited for my turn to ask the pharmacist a question.
I wasn’t the only one wanting to ask a lot of questions that day. An elderly lady seating on a chair near the pharmacy department was asking a lot of questions too, only her questions were not directed toward the pharmacist. She asked a customer in front of me a million questions about her personal life. I could tell the lady who was bombarded with questions was annoyed and aggravated. But finally she was next to talk to the pharmacist, which meant I was next in line to be showered with questions. I was not in a mood to stand and answer millions of questions; in fact I just wanted to be left alone. "Where do you live?" was the first question that the elderly lady asked. During the next 5 minutes, I shared not only where I live but also shared about my work, my husband and my reason for coming to Wal-Mart. I was very relieved when I heard the voice over the counter say, “Next!” Not surprisingly, the elderly woman moved on to the next person in line with her questions.
I in a mean time asked the pharmacist what I need to buy for my sick husband. Once the pharmacist pointed me in the right direction, I was ready to grab a box of cold medicine and leave. As I was leaving pharmacy department of the store, I heard a familiar voice.
“Excuse me”, quietly said the elderly lady.
As I turned around, I saw her motioning for me to come. I thought, “What else does she want to talk about?” I made my way to her chair and she looked right in my eyes and with all seriousness asked, “Are you Oxana Baul, the famous ice skater?” I couldn’t help but giggle. “No, but I can give you my autograph”, I told the stranger jokingly. When I looked into the eyes of this elderly woman the Holy Spirit began to convict me. In fact, the Lord has placed Hebrews 13:2 on my heart as I looked at the stranger. It says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angles without knowing it”. The foot notes of my Bible say, “This verse is not given as the ultimate motivation for hospitality but to reveal that one never knows how far-reaching an act of kindness might be”. While walking to my car with my head down, I felt guilty and ashamed for not being nicer to the stranger. What if she just needed a friend or a nice hug? What if she is lonely and does not have any family members living near by? As questions ran through my mind, I felt like I failed the mission. Through my failure I have learned a very valuable lesson to be kind, loving and compassionate to every one at all times, even when you are cranky and tired. Remember what Matt 25:40 says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of My brethren, you did it to Me”.
Thank you so much for this reminder. It is so easy to become wrapped up in ourselves, our lives, our wants, needs, etc that sometimes being kind to strangers is the last thing on our minds. I don't think you failed the mission... by realizing that you need to do better next time I believe you passed with flying colors! The whole point is to realize your wrongs and correct them the next time. Great job learning from the experience and thank you again for sharing!
ReplyDelete