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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

As I was running errands at one of the dollar stores in town, finding a handful of treasures, I had noticed as I went up and down the aisles a young woman who was looking at her phone “shopping list” style. She ended up in line behind me, looking over her cart items, and then suddenly she took two items and placed them on the shelf nearest her.

I am a people watcher; so I knew there was more to this story. I now believe she wasn’t looking at her shopping list, but she was calculating her items. At fast glance, it wasn’t a cart of nonessentials. My heart started that thump-thump feeling. I knew this was a woman in a situation I too had felt in our early years of marriage; a firm budget and only so many things could be purchased. Do I just go on my merry way, or do I do something?

Not wanting to make a scene, as I was being checked out, I simply got into my coin purse and pulled out a bill. A sweet piece of this story is that when our son-in-love visits he “hides” bills in drawers, like a treasure hunt, surprises for weeks after his visit. This was one of those bills.

I simply handed it to her and told her she needs to add those two items back into her cart and be blessed. She embarrassingly hung her head; in a sweet humbleness she thanked me. I told her; “I’ve been there, it will get better.”

“I hope so,” she quietly said.

“It will,” I confidently shared.

If you’ve ever been in that situation, either end, you know, one, the humbleness and thankfulness that someone helped, or, two, you know the pitter-patter of the heart and then the pause — what will I do?

Having been in both, I know the relief of a miracle in my life through another’s generosity. I also know the strong blessing of knowing someone’s day just got better because I was able to bless them. That’s a miracle to me.

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” — Proverbs 22:9, NIV

Since my surgery I haven’t been able to eat chips, which I love. Thank you, Jesus, for allowing me to bless that sweet gal with her two “treats” in the basket: chips!

Robin (Beckman) Gudal is intentional in life, a wife, momma, nana, friend and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.