To the Least of These

Thank you for all your sweet responses to my blog last week, I also heard several 'testimonies' of others who have lasting memories of people and what they did to influence them.

Today I'd like to hit the other side of the coin and mention something that happened last summer when we were in the States.

We'd been travelling around the country for three months in a rental car (actually several) and had purchased a fair amount of 'stuff'.

Relishing in the fact that in a big country like the US, you're going to have some reliable chain stores, Walmart possibly being the most ever present and obvious.  There are a lot of things I like as well as dislike about Walmart, but at least you can rely on their return policies.

Except as we travelled thru, we saw more and more the new thinking of the execs I'm sure, of keeping the money in the store.  So now, instead of a full refund either in cash or back on your credit card, they have begun to issue STORE gift cards.  

No problems, I thought.  There will be more trips to Walmart along the way, and we can use it, even for groceries or pharmaceutical stuff.

And so, one day, I got a $20+ gift card and before the day was out, I couldn't find it.

When you travel, you have to develop a 'OK, whatever’ attitude sometimes, and even though as much as I searched, I couldn't find it, so I realised that I had to ‘let it go’ and move on.

And then the day came when we were to board the ship for Europe.  Our time was up, and we took the rental car back, thoroughly cleaned out, or so we thought.

As I stepped out of the car, there was that elusive card down between the passenger's seat and the console.

NO chance for a Walmart now, so as we walked back into the hotel, I casually handed it to the desk clerk with a smile.

I was not prepared for her response.  She looked at the card, the amount, and then started CRYING!  

"Oh my goodness!" She said, "Thank you SOOO much!!"  She repeated this a few times, saying it louder and louder until people were looking our way with concern.  

I was dumbstruck, and she continued, You have NOOOO idea how much I need this, You have NOOOO Idea!"

And unfortunately, I still don't. As she continued to blubber but giving no response, I gave a puzzled "God Bless You?", as she left me and ran back into the office, wiping the tears from her face.......

So my question today is, "How many times do we have 'NOOOO idea" what we are doing in other people's lives?"  

Jesus said in his famous admonition, "In as much as you do this to the least of them, you do it unto me!'  (Matthew 25:40)

Try to make a difference today, whether you know it or not!

Stay tuned, next week we’ll be in Sydney with our 13 yr old grandson…..

Marsha


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