The gift card

The craziest, sweetest thing happened to me yesterday. Let me start with the story first...

Yesterday was grocery shopping day. Which means that it was a very, very busy day. We usually go to three different stores (gotta get the best deals) and it can be pretty hectic with three kids under three. 

We were at Winco which is the last store that we go to.We left the house around 10 and it was now 2:30. We finally made it to the check-out line. The end was in sight!  The kids missed naps and you could tell they were just done and tired. I forgot my reusable bags (they have a bag tax where I live and it annoys the heck out of me lol) so I had to buy 6 of them. I also went over my budget because ground beef was on sale and I grabbed a 10lb log. If anyone goes to Winco you know you gotta get that ground beef when you can. So I was feeling guilty about that. I was trying to load all the groceries bags with Emily's help when some older man came up to me. He looked like he was 65-70. 

He said "Here, I got this card for you." as he reached a card to me.

 "Whats, that?" I replied. I didn't really understand what he was saying.

 "I got this gift card for you to help with your groceries." he said.

and before I could say anything more he handed it to me. "Oh, wow, thank you so much" I said

enthusiastically.  He walked away. I tried to see where he went so I could

give him a proper thank you, but  Emily was trying to load eggs into the cart by herself and I

turned around for a second to help her and didnt see him anymore.


Why would a stranger hand me a gift card?  And why did he choose to give it to me?

I don't know the answer to those questions, but God does. Maybe he felt sympathy for me. Here I was loading groceries, wrangling three kids and pregnant. Maybe he saw that I was tired and needed some cheering up. The thing is, I may never know why he did that. But boy was I ever so grateful. It wasn't the money. I was so grateful because he did something so selfless. I know it must have not been comfortable for him to come up to me and he did. We live in a world where every thing is ME centered. You start to lose hope in humanity when you see how much people care about themselves. You see people not being gracious, only caring about their selves. never helping any one out. Then there's this man who handed me a gift card. I think about it and it makes me cry. He restored my hope. There still are selfless people out there. I was reminded of this verse in the bible.

"He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

15The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Thank you, whoever you are that gave me the gift card. I am forever grateful.