Sharing is something we have been taught since we were children. Most times, it was the key to peace growing up. So why do some of us find it so hard to do today? Of course, we share with our family and friends, but we become shy or hardened when faced with sharing with people we don’t know.
One day I was in the grocery store. There was a young couple in front of me. They emptied their basket with a modest supply of staples. Taking the last item out of the basket, a loaf of bread, the woman held it for a moment, and then placed it carefully on the checkout. My attention wandered a bit while the cashier was checking the couple out, but I noticed the cashier taking the bread and subtracting the cost from their total before placing it aside to be restocked. The couple counted out their money, paid for their groceries and walked toward the parking lot.
As I moved up to the cashier, I quietly asked if the reason they put the bread back was they couldn’t afford it. She verified my observation with a nod. I asked her to add the bread to my total. I quickly paid and rushed out to the parking lot. The couple had finished packing their purchases in their car, and was about to leave. I walked up to them and simply said… “Excuse me… but I believe you left this behind.” Handing them the bag with the bread they left behind, I turned quickly and walked away.
I don’t have a lot of money to spare at the end of my month, but as short as things have been, I have always had food in my cupboard and a roof over my head. I am so blessed with family and friends, and the realization that I have these blessings. I just cannot comprehend that buying a loaf of bread is out of someone’s reach. I rushed away, because I wasn’t looking for “thanks”, and least of all to make the couple feel uncomfortable, I just wanted them to have BREAD.
My challenge this weekend, is asking everyone to find a way to share. Notice the people around you and their needs. Ask yourself what you can do to quietly help someone. Perhaps paying the toll for person behind you if you’re traveling, or buying dessert for the table beside you in a restaurant, or parking a little further out in the parking lot so someone who needs it will have the opportunity to park closer to the store, or helping a neighbor with a chore or to carry groceries in from the car. There are so many things that YOU can do to make someone’s day happier. But most of all, no matter what you choose to do, do it with a huge SMILE! I guarantee the smile will not stop on your lips. It will not only be in the heart of the people you help, but will be in your heart as well.
Please share some easy things you can do to play “Angel” this weekend that will touch someone’s heart. What an awesome way to start a “pay it forward” movement in your own neighborhood!
The joy is in the journey!
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