Taking a moment to find our blessings
Their shopping cart was full and he was pushing it behind her, stopping when she stopped and going when she went. They discussed purchases and moved forward after adding something else to the cart.
From the conversation, I concluded that they were just about finished with their grocery list. He slowly turns the cart around when she stops him, “We forgot the mac and cheese.”
Following my husband around the next aisle, I thought how lucky, this woman I don’t know, and I are that our hubbies go shopping with us and participate in the chore.
I also felt lucky to realize how blessed I am that God allows me to see the blessings in the moment.
That is not a gift I was born with, it had to be cultivated. God helps me to have a positive outlook. Unfortunately, there were many times He was showing the positives, but I wouldn’t look.
While I do not rank grocery shopping high on my list, I’ve come to realize that smiling at others and connecting with them briefly is truly a blessing. Some I may never see again and others we may see each week as we shop. I’ve had to force myself not to tell off the real jerks that are looking for a fight, but I’m getting there.
Most people respond to a smile and return it. Saying, “oops, I’m sorry I got in your way,” usually brings that smile and sparks a quick interaction.
Many years ago I worked for a lady who went the extra mile with customers. She explained that she might be the only person that smiled at the visitor that day. She is right. We do not know what others are battling; we do not know their story.
Too many times in my life I’ve just not cared what the story was; just cut to the chase and get out of my way. Now I am able to recognize that look on the faces of others and to say a kind word and give them a smile in hopes they get a quick respite from the daily grind.
That does not mean that I am able to do that every minute of the day because I am not.
But I do try to find the blessings in each moment because with each blessing I find, it encourages me to keep searching and sharing with others.
Expanding the idea of blessings to beyond what we monetarily receive, or what new car or big house we have, helps us to notice the husbands and wives working together in the grocery store. It includes noticing the younger woman in the grocery store with her list and a passel of kids hanging onto the buggy and realizing she needs a smile. It is remembering what it was like to be at bygone seasons of our lives and dropping the judgment of others in a different stage of life than us.
“Practical Matters” is what I term it when I figure out how to put Bible scriptures into action. I’ve heard pastors and evangelists share scripture laying down the thou-shalt and thou shaltnots.
What I was searching for was how to put the information into practical advice. How do I keep my mouth shut when somebody is being such a jerk? How do I turn the other cheek when my nature is to slap them back harder than they slapped me?
Finally, I realized I had to pray for God to show me because not a lot of other people know how to shut up either.
In writing these columns, I have reflected a lot on the attitudes I’ve had over the years and I don’t feel as though I have the right to give any advice. I’ve also come to understand that if God is sharing this with me, how many others out there that are similar to me, also need to hear it? Please pray for me because at any moment I could easily mess up!
Being able to get away to some of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth, right here in Arkansas, sure helps to clear my mind and help me become better attuned to God.
I’ve mentioned this before, but if you need a place to land in times of stress, go to the Arboretum on Timberlane. Or just take a drive.
Or just go to the store and look around. Smell the air. See the beautiful faces. Watch the little children playing. Be grateful you got the buggy that doesn’t squeak. Or maybe you got the one that wobbles as it rolls. That can be quite funny! If you enjoy the buggy with the bum wheel, you can smile at the man with the bummed-out look on his face.