the kindness of a (sort of) stranger.

My self pity party was in full swing yesterday afternoon.

The scene:
Driving in Meijer parking lot looking for a close spot to park and thinking to myself,

"What did you do for Spring Break '08, Chelle?" You took your 9 month pregnant self and your 3 kids to Meijer on a Monday afternoon to return smelly, sticky pop cans.
As a bonus, you get to fight off begging for toys and Mt. Dew."

How quickly I forgot that I had just spent a nice morning with my friends at the park on a beautiful spring day, the ride from the park to Meijer changed my attitude. I was not looking forward to this excursion, no way, no how.

Pop cans returned and impulse buys in cart, we headed to the check out. My mood lightened as I scored a sweet 26.00 dollars off my grocery bill, I tried to pretend that my kids were not actually screwing around with the spin around bagging thing. I even managed to work up a smile and hello for the person in line behind me. Boy, she looked familiar.

As I was getting ready to push away from the check out, that vaguely familiar face behind me in the check out line ever so nicely said,

"Here, take this, and bring your kids out for ice cream or something this spring break."

She handed me some cash. I was just so overwhelmed with that act of kindness I started to tear up right there in the check out lane. As I talked more with this kind lady, she suddenly realized she knew me and my parents and so on.

What an undeserved gift. What a lesson in kindness. What a Spring Break so far! God used that small act to give me some perspective on my attitude, my kids, on HIM.

Now, how to pay it forward...