A Grocery Store Encounter

It was rather cold Saturday night and I was leaving a friend's house from watching a movie. I didn't want to go to the grocery, it was late and I was tired however the weather report is calling for icy rain Sunday and so I thought I had better go ahead and take care of it.

I rushed in and had planned on grabbing what I needed and running back out. As I was turning the corner of the Little Debbie's display, I noticed a woman in an electric scooter  trying to reach past her basket, (that was the fullest basket I had ever seen),  and grab some of the divine treats that laid before her. She was struggling and so I asked her if I could help. She seemed so relieved that someone was there but I could tell she didn't want to accept my help. More often times than not, people want our help and are afraid to ask. I am willing to take the chance for that reason of the slim chance that someone take offense when I just go ahead and help them.

It didn't take her long to become comfortable with the idea of having the help. Her cart was so full and I only had a small cart myself that I was in the process of overfilling. I ran to get yet a third cart for us and it did not take her long to fill it.

As I was helping her, it became clear why I was there. I believe that there are some things that can be coincidences but there are others, that you know are divine appointments. She was clearly grieving the loss of her Mother that used to grocery shop with her. She had been cancer free for 3 years but is getting ready to go back in for another surgery in  a couple of weeks for something else that was spotted.  As we talked, I shared some things that I was going through and it was as if her countenance moved from heartbroken to delivered, happy and free.. She told me that she didn't know that there could  ever be someone out there like her, dealing with the same issues. One thing that stood out to me about her is that she had been a hard worker all her life. She sent her two children through a private school and while she was married, her husband did not work or help her with anything.  She had mentioned several times how strong her Mother was and that she wished she was strong like her. The husband that she has now loves her dearly and told her that he wanted her to only work one job and not three any longer. He could see it was taking it's toll on her. She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and had to stop working in order to begin her healing process. After she had mentioned several times that she wished she was as strong as her Mother, (her Mother was a worker too), I reminded her that sometimes in life, it takes more strength to rest when we are called to rest than to continue to push ourselves to try to prove a point. Our bodies need rest when we are sick, it is how they heal. The look on her face was as if it was the first time that she had heard that concept. While I enjoyed hearing her story, I was exhausted and so after a good hour or so I walked her up to the counter and helped her checkout and wait for her husband.

I still had grocery shopping to do and I didn't realize that the store closed at 1:00AM. So, it was a surprise to me when I started to finish and they announced that it was time to bring the final purchases to the front of the store..The girl that was at the checkout that had just seen me walk through with the woman that I had just met. I feel she was so touched that I had helped the lady, she asked me if I needed to grab anything else that I didn't get to pick up. We started to talk and found that we had a lot in common as well.

Thank God for the coupons that were going to expire, that led me to that store rather than the one that was right by my house. He always has an adventure for every one of us if we are willing to see it. I will never forget the joy in her voice and smile on her face when she called her husband,  to tell him how excited she was to meet someone just like her. It was well worth the trip.