"You Made My Day!"

Has anyone said these words to you lately?
I had someone tell me this yesterday morning... and IT made MY day! Go figure!
Please know that I DO NOT tell you this to boast... I tell you this because I learned a lesson - one I needed to relearn! I hope you will learn something too!

I was in the produce section of a local grocery store - looking for some spinach. An older lady was there, with her grocery cart, looking at the bagged lettuce. She seemed indecisive so I said to her, "There are too many to choose from, aren't there?" She replied with, "Yes, but I'm looking for an expiry date on this and can't find it." I asked to have the bag and looked for the date - showed her where it was located, and passed it back to her. She said, "Oh thank you. I couldn't see it. I'm old you know. And look! Everything is up so high and I'm short, and no one wants to help anyone these days. What I really want is up there." And she pointed to the top shelf. She was too short to reach it on her own, so I got some down. We checked the dates together and she took the one with the longest expiry date because as she said, "There's just me you know. I'm all alone. It'll take me a while to eat all that." She then thanked me profusely for my help and she said, "You've been so kind. You've made my day!"

I stood there with tears in my eyes as she walked away!

I could have not spoken to her and done my own thing.
I could have felt "put upon" because I had "places to go and people to see".

So many thoughts ran thru my head:
I wondered what her "story" was...
What is it like to be "all alone" and be so thankful for a helping hand?
What is life like for a "shorty"? (I'm not tall - about 5' 5" - she probably was only about 5')
What is it like to get old?
Does she know the Lord?
Did I show Him to her today? She may not even know it but I believe I did. Thank you, Jesus!

Such a simple little act of kindness - today this is called a RAK - a Random Act of Kindness!

Makes me recall the times when I haven't been so kind; when I've rushed by someone needing help; when I've sighed b/c someone was not in as much of a hurry as I was; when I grumbled b/c .....; when I turned my head and my heart the other way b/c .....; when I've been critical rather than helpful...

Forgive me, Lord for failing you in those times. Help me to be more aware of the people around me; to have Your compassion for them; and to share Your joy with them! Thank You, Lord!

Friends and Loved Ones,
I hope this is your prayer today as well!
May someone say to you today "Thank you! You made my day."

1 John 4:16, 19-21
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

May His Blessings fall on you today -
and may your day be filled with RAKs -
ones you've given and ones you've received!
Peace and Joy!
Ruthie