At the meat counter, my friend, Angela, heard an elderly woman say to the deli attendant, “I would like some turkey, please.”
The young man said, “Ok…. What kind of turkey? Smoked? Honey? Roasted?”
She replied, “Oh… Well, I don’t know. I just need some turkey.”
He said, “Well, why don’t we start with a brand. We’ve got all of these…” He swept his arm along the huge display.
Again, she said, “Oh… I don’t know. I just need some turkey.”
He replied, “Well, once you figure it out, let me know. Next.”
Angela wanted to say to the guy, “What kind of turkey are you?” But instead, she slipped an arm around the lady and said, “Did you notice that sign? It says which ones are on sale. See these? They’re $1.50 less than all the others. Would you like one of those kinds of turkey, maybe?”
The woman turned to Angela, patted her cheek, and said, “Oh, thank you so much, dear. You have no idea how much that helps. My husband always did all the shopping, and he’s home dying of cancer. And I feel like I’m about to die, too.”
Angela spoke comfortingly to the woman, and helped her order the turkey. When they parted, she held Angela’s hand and said, “Just pray for us, dear.”
Angela’s story inspired me. I have no idea where Christ might want me to extend his gracious and kind hands, today. Maybe he’ll want me to reach out to a neighbor, or a facebook friend, or a person on the park bench beside me. He might even give me the opportunity to bless a hurting stranger who’s saying goodbye to everything she holds dear.
So touching. Great reminder to show God's love and patience to people.
Heidi, sometimes I have an easier time showing patience to the elderly lady than I do the rude young person. But God calls us to both, doesn't he?!
This makes me cry. I'm glad Angela was there at that moment. And I hope I become more aware of “moments” in my own world!
Sweet Alice. But crying is not a bad thing, right? Actually, my friend Angela and I often evaluate our visits in terms of tears. We'll say to our husbands, “It was such a great visit–we cried!”