It's been an interesting weeek. After a disheartened hunt Saturday night, with a pitiful feeling of not caring to sit in a deerstand for a long time, we head to church Sunday morning. Still feeling sore, and nobody to talk hunting with, I just felt sick. Then the Pastor says, "We're gonna do something different today. We are going to the local grocery stores near here and buy people's groceries. We're going to leave here and go out and DO church. As you walk through the store, find someone who you think needs help and tell them we are there to pay for their groceries and a board member will be at the register to swipe a card for them. No strings attached. I dont care what is in their cart. I dont care who they are or what they look like. Dont care. No strings attached here. No judgment here. Just go and Bless them. I don't care how little or how much! BLESS THEM!"
Now mind you, I have been doing this kind of thing all of my life. I've organized and led outreaches like this for years. But the last thing I felt like doing Sunday was another outreach. Then I hear this voice in my head that kind of sounded like my Dad say, "Boy, life ain't all about you. Get over yourself and go out there and do it!" Yep, he still says stuff like that!
And I watched as we got to the Kroger as most of my fellow church goers looked like shocked lil pups. Most had never done anything like this. And so I had this big group following me as they wondered how this would go.
So I flipped my switch and said Here we go. And just like that I see 2 little boys in the toy department begging their Dad (who had his arm in a sling) for a toy. He replied no and then I jumped in making conversation about his arm. Told him we want to pay for him and would it be ok for the boys to get a toy. He really didnt know how to respond. I pointed to our Pastor at the check out who held up the credit card with a thumbs up and then he knew I was for real. I walked up to the boys and said "Hey boys I was just tqlking to your Dad and he said its ok for you to get whatever toy you want. And their Dad gave a thumbs up and they grabbed what they wanted with no questions and all the childlike faith of Peter that it was good! Man, I'll never forget the look on their face.
And just that quick I see a young couple coming to the checkout that had ear lobes hanging to their collar bones and and more tattoos showing than skin with a toddler in tow. "Hey man, hop in line. We're gonna bless you today and pay for your groceries!" No comment...then tears flowed!
By now, the rest of our group had gotten the idea and moved out to bless others.
Then I see my wife down the aisle holding a lil baby...Alexandria...3 weeks old. My wife had latched on to this single Mom with the newborn and her 12 year old son. She told the Mom...I'll hold your baby. You and your son go get 2 big carts and fill them up with whatever you need. And so I went with the son as the mom filled the carts with things they needed and some stuff they didn't need. It didn't matter. We were just out to bless them. So my wife put the baby to sleep as we continued our trek through the store. No tears shed here...just unbelievable joy from this lil family whose Dad was still at work.
As we got to the checkout, I saw one of our church couples huddled around an elderly woman. They had taken a more "spiritual" approach than me and asked God who they should bless and they chose this woman. It turns out she was there alone because her husband was in the hospital on his death bed. Our couple prayed with her...bought her groceries and made arrangements for getting together for Thanksgiving.
I know there are other stories to come from this as we hear them later on. It has kind of lit a renewed fire. Just yesterday, I saw a couple walking in the cold with their baby in a stroller. They were Mexican. I told them I just wanted to bless them and handed them some money as I saw them go into a Dollar General. They apparently spoke no English. Only would say Gracias!
You're right Woody...it's been a blessing to get out and simply bless others!
