Thursday, October 9, 2008



Christ said, "If someone compels you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two.
"

'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store.

'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line, 'said a woman. I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.

'It's one of them welfare card things. Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment. 'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.


The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car.

Never looking back, she got in and drove away.


Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.


'Why would she do that?' asked the man. Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement. 'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said.
I'm sorry,'
said the man.


'Well, that's bad, real bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.


'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about. The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries. 'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.


'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.


'Yes, she goes to our church.
'

'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line. He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card. PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.


Hold on,' said the gentleman. He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people. We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.


Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt. A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts. 'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man.

'NO,' yelled the man. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks.
The entire
store became quiet for several seconds. 'Four turkeys,' yelled the man.

Everyone began laughing and went back to work.


When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries. He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.


'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.

The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.' 'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.' Everyone in the store had been observing the odd Commotion and began to clap. And I drove home that day feeling very American.

We live in the Land of the free, because of the Brave!!! Remember our Troops of Yesterday and Today!!! A great example of why we should be kind and patient.


Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear. Never judge someone...until you have walked a mile in their shoes.


May God's many blessings continue to be with you - ALWAYS MAY THIS KEEP GOING...IT MAY OPEN A LOT OF EYES,HOPEFULLY HEARTS, AND KEEP SOME MOUTHS SHUT.



I don't know if this happened or not,But I have been in this ladies shoes,Not long after we lost Andy lost his job and we were able to get food stamps,We were given around $75 dollars for a month.We found out you could use coupons with food stamp.I used them to make things go father money.Well we were at the Kroger here in Richland I believe and was ringing out when I handed the cashier a young man I might add,When a man behind me said I have seen it all now,Coupons with foodstamps.The young man looked at him said dude,This is all they have for the WHOLE month,The little they saved may buy milk or bread later on.Hes like thats Bull.,There has got be 0ver 500 on that card,With tear filled eyes I looked at him said no sir this is it.
Just 75 dollars,My husband lost his job,and I cant work at the moment I just lost my daughter who was still born and all we trying to do is get by,He did say he was sorry he had no idea,and offered to buy us a gallon of milk we said no we were covered.and walked off.I have had many more stories like that,SOME are great!!
Like the time we were at walmart and had to put a gallon of chocolate milk cause we had over shot something,a guy seeing I was PG followed me to my car handed me my milk said his wife would kill him if she knew that a PG woman went without her Chocolate milk!!!!!!!!!! I was PG with Katie at the time.
I just thought I would share where I had been and what God has taught me.I try soooo hard not to judge.I remind myself daily that I have NO stone to throw,Im not perfect and its by HIS Grace alone that I am where I am today..............


1 comment:

Rhonda Jeanne said...

Thanks for sharing,Shannon. It makes me mad to see people hurt by another's thoughtlessness. It also reminds to be more compassionate.