While we ate I watched her finally enter the store and order something for her dinner. I overheard the cashier say, "We only take cash or credit card. We don't take checks." She acquiesced, paid another way, and moved over to wait for her order to come out. When I looked up again she was trying to carry her handbag, a sack of dinner, and a cup holder with two sundaes and an empty cup for her drink. She got them over to the fountain drink stand just fine, but once she had filled the drink container I figured it would be more of a challenge than she could handle heading out the door.
I rose from my seat, walked up to her, and asked if I could help her. She looked up at my 6'3" frame from her 5' 2" inch height and said, "That would be real nice, thank you." I told her I understood sometimes how hard it is to balance everything and was glad I could help her. While we walked out to the car she asked me if I was waiting for my order and I told her no, "I was just finishing up my dinner with my family inside."
She thanked me again as I waited for her to get her handbag and dinner sack into the car before I handed her the cup holder. I told her I was glad to help and hoped she had a good evening.
I have found myself asking God to help me see ways in which I can help others each day. I have found people are usually very accepting when you ask if you can help them. I also have found it gives me immense pleasure to see them smile, where just before I only saw a frown or a worried look.
Yes, there are times I am so focused on what I want that I fail to recognize some else's need. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated at a long line or a person littering the sidewalk or the road way as if they were the only ones on a planet where everyone else picked up after them. Yes, I still expect people to thank me when I help, but I am learning that to live in the Kingdom of God we need to be ready to assist others in their walk, be it physical or spiritual. And sometimes we need to do that without receiving any appreciation at all.
I hope that we can all have the eyes of Jesus and see the need, share the compassion, and experience the joy, he brings, by offering our help to any who are in need.
Hoping we can serve all those still in need, in some way,
Pastor Randy
