Missed Opportunity

Don't you hate when you feel the nudge to do something and you don't and it slips by as a missed opportunity..?? I had heard a friend recently say that she was trying to meet God where he is working...because you know God is always working, he doesn't need us..he is at work all the time doing God business. So I too decided to try and see God working around me and join him....

Yesterday, we were at the grocery store checking out. I had 10 minutes exactly to check out, load the car, and get to a destination to meet a woman to pick something up. The three kids and I got in a line, unloaded all the groceries on the belt and waited. The gentleman in front of us was a young black man, in a McDonald's uniform. His groceries were loaded in the buggy and the clerk asked him for payment. I had one of those huge space shuttle kid buggies in line with me so I wasn't near the register at all. He handed her some cash, there was a verbal exchange and then I heard the cashier say "you still owe me $____." I couldn't tell if she said $16 or $60 (I was way back behind my buggy). He shuffled around a bit and there was more verbal exchange and the cashier looked at me with disgust and said, "Ma'am its going to be a minute." (which turned into 10 minutes) Then the gentleman and the bag boy proceeded to UNLOAD the man's buggy...rice, cereal, sprite, toilet paper, etc. The man was obviously embarrassed..he was sweating and each time she return scanned an item, she would look at him with disgust again and tell him how much he still owed and he would pull something else out of his buggy to return. I felt terrible for him and I was moved to pay for the balance of his groceries but didn't know exactly how to go about it. Molly was crying at this point, wanting to get down...I knew that if it was $60, I couldn't pay for it...we are on a strict budget right now (John sent me with a specific amount of money) but if it was $16, then I could. I didn't know how to ask...I would have had to go all the way up there, stop the whole "return" process, and ask a stupid question...so I didn't.

I thought about it all day long..couldn't get it off my mind. I wish that I had been up front when it started so that I could have heard..and acted immediately. I would have said, "put the rest on my bill" and let the poor man get out of there without embarrassment..I felt so sorry for him.

Something I use to do a lot is judge...judge people for their actions...why would he come in there and not add up what he spent...why would someone buy shrimp when they are on a budget, why doesn't he get a better job....why why why...but God has been working on me...it's not my job to judge...and as John said, you never know...He might not be able to count. It doesn't matter, no where in the Bible does it say to judge your neighbor...only LOVE....so still this morning I am contemplating my missed opportunity to love :(