Skip to main content

How to Outshine




Every now and then someone comes into my life and mysteriously shines sweet kindness on my day.  The cashier at Walmart deserves a benevolence award. 

Amy, who has a big heart to please, asked me what she can bring to spruce up my post-op recovery days.  My throat, parched from anesthesia paraphernalia, longed for cold, sweet comfort.  My bedroom end-table collected water bottles and lozenges but I wanted something fun like a Popsicle or ice-cold fruit bar.  Good ole Amy grabbed two boxes of Outshine Fruit Bars in the freezer aisle at Walmart but when she went to pay for them, she realized she left her wallet in the purse she switched out that morning.  Embarrassed, she glanced at the cashier and offered to return them to the freezer aisle. 

The cashier insisted she keep them.  “I will pay for them,” she said.  “You can reimburse me the next time you’re in the store.”

Amy returned in record time with cash in hand.  She wasn’t about to take advantage of the dear lady plus she had to fetch her driver’s license in that old purse too.

The fruit bars were outstanding.  My favorite is raspberry.  Every time I opened one, I thought of the generous clerk and asked God to bless her.  There’s no way she could have known her decision to waive the cost that day would bring blessings to my sick bed.   I thanked God for her gift of discernment.  It’s easy to develop a hard heart working with the public.  Sometimes it’s easier to lump all customers together and believe they all are shysters who take advantage.

But not this lady!

I like her example.  I like the idea of tapping into discernment rather than judging.  I wonder if she prayed to be a blessing in someone’s life that day as she drove to work. 


I want to be more like her.  I want to bless people with my life choices too.   I think it’s a good resolution for this coming New Year. 

Comments

  1. "I wonder if she prayed to be a blessing in someone’s life that day as she drove to work."

    Maybe a prayer something like this: Lord, I am just a small person. What can I do to bless someone?

    He: I'll show you something cool.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a very moving story about two kind ladies: Amy and the cashier at Walmart.
    Behavior like theirs makes life sweeter, recovery from illness quicker.
    May there be many persons in your life like the above ladies!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thit is so good to read. I've lately had some really nice cashiers at Wal-Mart too. If they only knew the power they have to make or break someone's day. I hope you are feeling better! 😀
    Hugs.
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a generous heart! This reminds me of the ordinary, good folks SeanDietrich.com often profiles in his daily column. (Unapologetic plug for Sean ... lol).
    This month is my turn to facilitate our associates' daily line-up and I was asking them to remember how it felt that last time someone did an unexpected act of kindness for them. A few faces just lit up, remembering.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a great resolution for all of us! A small kindness can make such a difference in someone's life!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Mary! What a wonderful story of a one persons trust and love. Who knows what inspired her to offer to pay for those bars, but you know it had to be grace that helped her follow through. A grace-filled moment just for you Mary. How special you must feel!

    I hope you're recovering well, I'll be praying for you as always my friend.
    God's blessings and peace,
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a sweet cashier to pay for those fruit bars. There aren't many in our neck of the woods who would have done that. But I also have to say how could anyone see and talk with your Amy and think she was a shyster? Her light was shining that day as well, my friend. xo

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a sweet story! God bless that dear cashier. I wonder how often we miss golden opportunities such as the one God presented to her that day? Sometimes, we can be so burdened down with our own problems and heartaches, and we fail to see the hurts in the eyes of others around us. I am so glad you are enjoying your bars, and so grateful you have such a sweet daughter to help you and your dear hubby out during these difficult days. Praying often for you, my friend, and sending hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kindness...a mark of being a true Christian indeed! To be clothed with it along with compassion, humility, gentleness and patience... We all heard the saying, "Action speaks louder than words." And your daughter and that cashier with a kind heart had demonstrated it! Not only was your dry mouth relieved at that time but stories like these quench a dry spirit! It surely rejuvenated mine! Sister Mary, praying for the Lord to always give you His strength, healing, and protection! Thank you for always blessing my faith with yours.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This made my morning Mary to read. I love this story. Such an expression of love one another as I have loved you! Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year dear lady. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lovely story. We never know how we can bless others in unexpected ways and this person certainly did that.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gosh angels are everywhere! Just yesterday I had 3 in the form of considerate and kind drivers helping me with my heavy grocery.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm with you, Mary. I too want to be like that. Relatively speaking, for a cashier that works at Walmart, her gift was beyond average. What a heart! This is the kind of thing that makes me want to act like it's Christmas all year long!

    Thanks for sharing and I hope you're getting better daily.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an amazing story! How just like the Lord to work in such a beautiful way through this sweet lady's heart, and to bless your heart knowing that the Lord really wanted you to have those popsicles, and went to special efforts to make sure that you got them! Oh this warms my heart! I do hope and pray you are feeling better dear friend! Surely the sweet care and loving concern of the Lord and your sweet family has helped you through the rough days. I hope you will be out and about quite soon enjoying the world again! Much love to you today :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abba's Lap

I noticed a behavior pattern in little Amy, twenty months old, that I want to imitate.  She moves fast engaging in one toddler activity after another spinning like a whirlwind from one room to another.  Yet, she pauses,  intermittently , long enough to get refreshed.   I want to be like this grandchild of mine because she knows where to go and how to get comforted. Amy moves at record speed, putting more miles on a pedometer in one hour than my accumulated weekly workouts at the gym.  She can build a skyscraper so tall, I wonder why those bright pink Lego’s don’t topple to the ground as she continues to stack just one more piece on top. I learned never to leave the room to get another cup of coffee.  Once, when I returned, I found her climbing past the couch with hands and feet reaching for the living room drapes. She has a consistent habit that I admire.  In the midst of her activities, as she moves robustly from one play...

Gloomy Skies

  The predicted snow started to fall in large, fluffy flakes from a gloomy dark gray sky.  It was late morning and the pines and crusty, dry ground soaked up the moisture.  This winter scene contrasted our usual bright Arizona sunny skies.  We, and the earth, crave moisture.  It's been so dry without rain for over 150 days. In my kitchen, my crock pot alerted me with bubbling sounds so I switched my homemade chicken soup to low.  Chocolate chip cookie dough waited on the counter for the oven to reach 175 degrees. My cell phone notified me of a new text message and I saw my best friend's name appear at the top of the screen.  "Oh, good" I thought.  She responded. My bestie lay in a Phoenix hospital awaiting surgery after a slew of tests.  I had sent an encouraging text with a Scripture earlier with hopes to deliver peace and quiet rest for her soul.  "No surgery tomorrow,"  she wrote.  It's cancer and they're sending me home to ...

Musical Instrument Museum

  My dad played the concertina.  Some call it a squeeze box.  Mom and dad were children of Polish immigrants and knew how to party hard.  Growing up, I watched as they hosted many a celebration in our modest home and I loved the joy of seeing my dad play his heart out to old Polish waltzes and polkas.  He came from a family of 12 children so my childhood contained lots of cousins and uncles who took turns at the concertina with their rendition of polkas while my aunties filled our dining room with double-hop polka dancing.  Add a little whiskey to the mix and you've got a loud shindig.  Simple fun.  I loved it. You can imagine my delight finding a concertina display in the Poland Wing at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ.  Memories flooded my mind and I wished my cousin, Joyce, could be with me in that moment.  She and I reminisce like crazy about our childhood--the Polish pierogis, Kolaczki cookies and Christmases in our gran...