Yesterday, I had one of those rare moments of encouragement from a stranger. I had had one of those days when I really didn’t want to do my duty and go to the store with my mother.
It has become such a chore for her to shop and on more than one occasion her legs have literally given out on her and she has ended up on the floor. She REFUSES to use an electric shopping cart so that she can shop in leisure. She toddles along hardly able to walk some days and the stress this puts on the person with her is difficult—that fear of her just collapsing on the floor (again) because she is too stubborn to utilize the help the store has provided for her. She enjoys shopping and this would allow her the leisure to “shop like she used to” but she does not want anyone to think she is not able. I confess that her stubbornness has kept her going this long and has its merit, yet when you get the brunt of the worry over her…it can make ones countenance fall.
I guess I must have had a down cast countenance after she grumped at me because she thinks the self-service checkout (which I prefer) takes longer. Instead of acknowledging that her legs were about to give out and that I saved her from having to walk more than halfway down the large store to get to a check out AND that she was able to go sit in the chair (rest her legs/back) right across the aisle from where I was scanning our groceries, she instead groused about how long it took me. I confess, I am not feeling the best right now and I am probably a bit hyper sensitive and it must have showed on my face because this fellow shopper walked by and sent forth a blast of admonishment and encouragement to do my duty well.
The words from this stranger will not be recorded here but her parting comment brought tears to my eyes. Here was a person that saw something that few recognize, the caretaker, the one who was in pain at the moment feeling tired and lonely. These words spoke directly to my heart as exhortation and they encouraged me. Whoever this woman was, she understood something that most do not.
I thank God for the strangers that He has brought into my life over the years. They have been many, in various places and over various circumstances. Time and time again over the course of my life, God has used the means of words and actions of strangers to encourage me on in my duty.