A God Assignment



A God Assignment

When I met with my Grief Therapist weeks ago, he reminded me that God gives assignments to Believers.  In fact, he explained, he talks to Our Father while in the shower and daily asks to be used in His service. God always gives my coach an assignment before the  end of the day, usually soon after he leaves home.  It sounded good to me so I began mimicking the Coach, daily asking God what He would have me do for Him.  I rarely thought about the execution of an assignment, assuming that I had done a good deed of some kind or another. 

"God always answers prayers," I'd glibly remind myself at the end of the day when or if  I'd take a haphazard inventory. On this Wednesday, I felt compelled to go to the grocery store  on my way home from a counseling session.  I actually tried to talk myself out of going because my wallet was pretty slim, my coin purse was a little lighter than usual,  and I couldn't think of anything I either wanted or needed.  Yet,the urgency to go to the store grew stronger and stronger, so I decided to buy some crackers with my meager "bankroll."  Knowing the layout of the store like the palm of my hand, I headed straight for the aisle holding shelves of crackers.

A short lady in a motorized cart was headed toward me.  She'd consult a (what I assumed was a) short grocery list as she navigated her side of the aisle.  When we were side by side, I noticed her slowly getting up to reach for a product among the array of 32-ounce jars of fruit juice

"Can I get that for you," I asked.

"Oh, how kind of you," she remarked graciously." 

"No problem," then turned to look judiciously for crackers that my budget would fit,   found one a frugal shopper appreciated, paid an "Automated Cashier," and let the store.

It was only when I was almost to my car that it hit me! I hadn't offered to help the lady with the rest of her shopping, not just a bottle of juice.  I turned and went back into the store and started looking up and down aisles until I found her.

"Listen, I'm done with my shopping. How about I help you get grocery that's on the top shelves?"

She looked startled.

"It's not a bother at all. I'm free for the next three or four hours before I have to start dinner." She continued to hesitate, as if she were gauging my sincerity. 

"Well, then, thank you.  This won't take long.  I've always made lists and before my husband got sick and passed, we'd do our grocery shopping together."  We started off.

"I'm sure you miss him a lot," I said.

She looked at her list, paused and said in a sad but strong voice, "I sure do!

We chatted, using her list as the road map for our journey. 

She and I ended in the pharmacy department as she explained why she had  chosen  one brand over another. Cost, coupons, and "deals" made the difference. 

She explained how she shopped on Wednesdays when the sales are published and reminisced some more about her husband of 39 years.  

After I unloaded her basket, we parted company at the checkout lane. Though we never exchanged names and I've never seen her since, I left the store, smiling and the richer, thanking God for His healing interlude.  

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