I went to a grocery store a few days ago and I was behind a mother with a daughter close to Adalie’s age at the check out. I didn’t pay attention to them until the cash register said, “I’m sorry, but you cannot buy hot foods with food stamps.” I looked over at the cash register holding a rotiserrie chicken and I glanced to their cart which only had 2 big containers of water. I then glanced to the screen that showed the total of their purchase and the water was free with the food stamps and the chicken came out to be $5.31. My first thought was, “Oh I’ll pay for it!” but then I thought, ‘Oh what if she gets offended, I don’t want her to get embarrassed and offended…’ since there was a line accumulating behind me and a lot of people would see it. So I didn’t say anything and the lady took out her credit card and it got denied or something, I’m not exactly sure since I was calling out for Adalie while she was grabbing all the candy. I turned back to the register and I still wanted to offer to pay for it really bad but I kept silent. I noticed the water was leaking from the container so I let her know and that’s all I said. Then the lady tells the cash register that she’ll just go ahead and get the water only and she left. As I saw her and her daughter walk away with just water and nothing else, my heart sank. I looked at the little girl’s humble clothing and back to my daughter Adalie who was wearing a brand name coat I had just purchased for her and my heart tore up even more.
I got in the car and cried like a baby. No I’m not pregnant. What if it was the spirit telling me to buy it for her and I didn’t listen? Anything of good comes from the Spirit so it must’ve been the spirit telling me. I called Jay and he told me I should’ve just bought it for her since it was only $5.00 and how she wouldn’t have been offended. I kept telling him “Don’t tell me that!” and cried a little more.
Oh how I wish I could turn back the time. The whole day I couldn’t get them off my mind and wondered what they ate for dinner, if they had other foods to eat. I went to another grocery store after that and I wanted to buy a snack but saw that it was $5 so I just couldn’t buy it. I think about how much I have, temporally speaking and I just feel so spoiled. I think of all those times I purchase a $5 shirt because well, they’re only $5. But with that $5 I could feed a family. Why do I have so much more than her temporally? I know it’s not because I deserve it more than her. I’m positive that she’s a far better person than I am and deserves it far more than I do.
If my heart hurts for her, how our Heavenly Father must feel for her and everybody else who can’t afford to prepare a decent meal for their family. All those people who are starving and dying in this world. The homeless.
I believe Heavenly Father gives things to us temporally, some more than others so that we can share it with others that are less fortunate. To give us an opportunity to share and receive, to make the giver and the receiver a better people by experiencing the Christ-like love. If everyone had everything they needed, where would be that opportunity to give and receive?
I made some personal goals to be more thrifty and more giving. I hope that with the Holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas coming near, you’ll recognize all the blessings you have that you take for granted and learn from my mistake and give the next time that opportunity arises. Hopefully by me sharing my regret and mistake, someone else will be able to reach out and offer that small act of kindness I had missed to that “lady”.
