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Hopeful Story, May 5, 2013

The Value at the Checkout Line

  I was really moved by the story of Johnny, the checkout boy who would put his “Thought of the Day” in each of his customer’s grocery bags.
  It made me remember a recent event of my own. It was Friday afternoon and I had just finished work, had a terrible headache and just wanted to get home. The last thing I wanted to do was grocery shop but I absolutely needed a few crucial items for dinner.
  I quickly scanned the checkouts to see what the lines were like and thought to myself, “Oh, good I should be in and out in just a few minutes”. Boy was I wrong! When I got to the checkout line ALL of the cashiers had numerous customers lined up. I grumbled under my breath but decided I had no option but to stay in line and pray that my line would move quickly.
  What I did not expect to see was the husband of a former patient I had seen once several months ago and who was dying. I remembered John* telling me he was assistant manager of this particular store. As I stood patiently in line John recognized me and shared with me that his wife had passed away. He got called away several times to help customers but each time he came back to me to talk. He shared his feelings about how he was handling things and I reassured him that all of his feelings were normal. We talked quietly as there were customers all around us.
  While in line I noticed what appeared to be a silent auction at the front of the store. John shared with me that it has always been part of his mission to help others and so he has run several of these events in the past. I thought how strong a person he must be to be able to continue giving when he himself has suffered the greatest loss of his life. I was thankful on this day that God placed me in that very slow checkout line and was not even aware until after I left the store that my headache, which had been lingering for days, was suddenly gone!
- Monique

*(Name changed)

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