Wal-Mart Witness

Tonight I had some pretty intense cabin fever after a week in bed recovering from Boxtox treatment (http://amyridgewell.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/botox/) and I needed a fish filter. Having worn off of the pain medicine I had taken several hours prior, Mom thought it was safe to drive to Wal-mart (after I convinced her that all of my fish would die instantly unless I replaced the filter tonight.)

I bought a filter. They didn’t have the right brand I needed and it doesn’t exactly fit but considering how gnarly my old filter was, it will do until I can go to Petco. I hate Petco. I have to walk past the rats and snakes to get to aquatics and I’ve prayed for divine intervention because Lord knows how I feel about those creatures. I think that they should separate the store into two spaces, non-creepy pets and creepy pets.

Back to Wal-Mart. I was only there for 45 minutes or so (which is record time though Jessica thinks that is ridiculous) and I picked up a couple necessary items. When I walked up to the check-out counter I struck up a conversation with my nice cashier who is likely to be in his 70′s. He seemed kind of distraught so I asked him if he was okay and he was hesitant. He then told me that a few weeks ago he overhead me talking to another cashier who shares my name and always talks to me (I am a frequent flyer) about my Chapel sermon for the day-school kids. (I felt the need to explain to her why a 22-year-old needed Play-doh at ten’o'clock.) He asked me what church I worked for and about our services and then he began to tell me about the recent death of his grandson. I talked to him for a few minutes about how sometimes we don’t understand why things happen and I shared with him that God loved him very much. He apologized for randomly telling me about his troubles and I assured him that I was in no hurry. He smiled through watery eyes and asked me to keep him in my prayers as another customer came up.

I walked away with a heavy heart trying to imagine his grief and making a mental note to keep my promise to pray for him and his family. I have always known that sometimes God puts me in the right place at the right time however, when do I miss these opportunities? Instead of talking to the other cashier about Chapel, he could have easily overheard me arguing with Adam over something dumb or complaining to my Mom on the phone about how there are not enough hours in the day. But he heard about my Chapel message to a bunch of preschoolers about God’s plan for us.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

As a Christian, I am called to be a light into the world. Even at Wal-Mart.