Do Unto Others...

Several years ago, I was purchasing several pots of flowers for a church event!

I’m not sure what particular event I was purchasing them for…

Possibly a youth banquet…

A ladies’ luncheon…

Or Mother/Daughter Tea…

But I do remember that I needed several pots of flowers!

I remember filling two shopping carts full with brightly-colored flowers!

And I also remember finding it a little difficult to maneuver the two carts through the aisles of the store!

I also remember shopping Wednesday night after church because after making my large purchase, it was late and dark as I headed out the door!

Pushing one cart in front of me…and pulling the other…I preceded to the Exit doors!

I was focused on keeping both carts heading in the right direction when I heard a deep voice behind stating…”Let me help you with that, ma’am”!!

Before I could kindly respond back…”No thank you…I’m fine”…I felt a gentle push on the cart behind him!

Cautiously looking around, I saw a rather tall and large man…smiling brightly at me as he enthusiastically grabbed the cart behind me to provide his assistance!

Hesitant to let the cart go behind me, I continued to maintain my firm grip on the cart!

I mean…it was late at night…

It was dark….

And I had never met the man who was so graciously trying to assist me, so you can understand my reluctance to let go of the cart and trust this total stranger!

However, as this gentleman began to engage me in conversation, my grip slowly began to loosen!

As we were walking to my car (which was parked as about as far from the store as possible…so other runaway carts would not run into it…a rule of my husband’s)…this kind man shared that if his mother or wife was walking out of the store with two carts full of flowers…he hoped that there would be a kind person there to assist them as well!

He then proceeded to ask me why I needed so many pots of flowers.

I shared with him that the lovely pots of flowers would be used as decorations or center pieces for an event at church!

I didn’t believe it was possible…but that man’s smile grew even bigger and brighter!

He told me that he loved the Lord and which church he attended!

He told me how he had been attending church since he was a little boy!

And his love for God shined brightly as he shared and asked me questions about my church! 

I felt such a peace as this complete stranger and I shared our love for the Lord, that I completely let go of that second card!

Though the parking lot was dark, his countenance truly lit up the area around us!

And though I was tentative to accept his offer to help at first, I’m so glad that he was persistent and that I had an opportunity to chat with this Godly man!

It would have been easy to decline his offer to help (which I was ready to do), but I would have missed an opportunity to be blessed that evening!

I would have also prevented this man the opportunity to bless someone else that evening…Me!

He intended me no harm!

His only desire was to assist a lady who was trying to push/pull two cards!

Chivalry is not dead!

After thanking him for his help, I thought of his act of kindness on my way home!

I was truly blessed and was so thankful that God had allowed us to meet for those brief moments!

The memory of this particular act of kindness came to my mind when I was reciting one of my memory verses (remember…I am also memorizing the scriptures from the ABC index cards)!!

My memory verse that day stated…Do to others as you would have them do to you…Luke 6:31.

Sometimes it can be a little intimidating extending an offer to help…fearful that we might be rejected!

Or sometimes it can be a little intimidating accepting an offer to help…fearing that we look weak or incapable of completing the task before us!

But if God’s word is telling us to do to others as you would have them do to you…don’t you think we should do just that?

And who knows…you might meet a stranger who brightens your day…or you might be that stranger who brightens someone else’s day!

And hopefully, you are encouraged, feeling a little more hopeful that there is still good people in this world who genuinely desire to be the tangible touch of Jesus!

Dear Heavenly Father…thank you for bringing people into our lives to bless us!  And in return, I pray that you help each of us to be a blessing to others!