Kindness of a Stranger

Today I encountered someone, a stranger, who was so kind to me, I just wanted to hug her. 

I had to go to the grocery store today, and when going with a 15 month old you never really know what is going to happen. I had my list, coupons, and toys and snacks for Josiah. We are truckin' along good, he's happy, playing with his car making vroom vroom noises like little boys do. Then he looks up, just as I am reaching up to grab his yogurt off the shelf.  I buy him this organic, whole milk yogurt that's really good and he loves it. He eats it every morning for breakfast. Well, we'd been out of it for a few days and so I guess he was missing his yogurt. When sees me grabbing it and putting it in the shopping cart he flips out! He starts saying, "na na na na"- his word for drink and anything out of the fridge that he likes. He starts standing up and turning around in the cart trying to lean down and get his yogurt. 

Sadly, he was too fat for the strap in the front of the cart, so I couldn't strap him in. Therefore he started throwing a wild fit! And we'd only just begun grocery shopping. 

I give him several things to try to distract him. He still becomes livid that I won't let him stand up in the front of the cart or have his yogurt. I start racing down the isles, trying to look for the good prices and grab the stuff I need while keeping Josiah in the cart. It was utter madness and chaos and my blood pressure was starting to rise. 

By the time we reached the check-out he had lost all composure...and I was about to lose it too. He wanted OUT! So he started standing up and leaning over the cart while I was trying to throw things onto the conveyer belt thingy at the check-out. I get him out of the cart, try to hold him while getting the things out of my cart, but he goes limp on me and starts sliding out of my arms. And he's so stinkin' heavy that when he goes limp I simply cannot hold him with one arm. 

I'm starting to sweat, there is a line of people behind me just staring at me, and my child is screaming. At that moment I thought, "Oh Lord, if you could just send a few angels down to give me a hand for a second, I'd surly appreciate it. " Not one second later, the woman at the checkout finishes with the customer in front of me, comes around to where I am battling my child and says, " Oh honey, you look worn out, let me get your groceries out of your cart for you." I could have hugged her. She was so sweet, and patient, she didn't rush or seem agitated that I was holding up the line. She just keep talking to me, telling me it was ok, trying to help me get Josiah calmed down, and told me, "Oh honey, I've been there before, it does get better". 

She was the angel I prayed for. 

Her simple act of kindness truly made my day. I could not thank her enough for her kindness and love that she showed me. 

As I started the car (after wrestling with my little lion to get him strapped in the car-seat), I sat there and thanked God for answering my simple prayer and thanked Him for that woman who in just a few moments made my day. 

And it got me thinkin', have I been kind to that person who is having a hard day, or have I just stared  as they struggled and walked on by? My mom wrote this statement in a recent email about things she has been learning from her bible study- 

We do not exist for ourselves- to ensure our own happiness- but our life's destiny is to be holy and become servants of the most holy God. 

That is powerful, and that should be our life's mission. To not live for ourselves, but to like the lady at the grocery store, to show love and kindness to strangers, to those who are hurting, to those who are just having a bad day. To live for Christ, like Christ, and not for ourselves. 

So anyway, I am thankful today for the kindness of a stranger. I pray that the Lord would give me His eyes to see those strangers around me that I encounter who need to be shown a little love. What if we all did that? Hmm...