Whose World Will You Change Today - And Never Know It?

By Linda Patton June 25, 2015

One of my most meaningful life lessons came when my daughter was 5. I was having one of those horrible, terrible, no good, very bad days. The kind of day that makes a person so grumpy that you are pretty sure rainbows are out to get you. Everything makes you want to cry, or even worse - grouchy.

She was just as grumpy, and was probably pushing my buttons as well. Nothing I tried went right. Late afternoon, I realized we were out of something important that we could not live without. I can’t, for the life of me, remember what it was, but at the time, it seemed important.

                I made an attempt to do my hair and loaded her into the car. Nothing was any better at Wal-Mart. They didn’t have what I needed, the aisles were crowded, and lines were long. I put a few items into the cart and headed towards the checkout line. By the time it was our turn, we had both been in tears at least once. After everything was on the belt, I pushed my cart forward with little Rachel sitting in the front. The cashier looked at me, smiled and said, “How are you today?”

                I giggled as I bit back the urge to reply, “Ugh! You have no idea!” It only took seconds to finish up and walk out the door. As I pushed her through the outside doors toward the car, I began to notice something. Suddenly, we were smiling. The cloud of gloom had lifted and we were both giggling as if we had never been grumpy at all.

                I stopped smack in the middle of the parking lot for a Mommy Moment. “Rachel,” I said, “Do you see what has happened to us?” I went on to explain the realization of what had happened. “We were horribly grumpy, and now we are happy. What happened?”

                What did happen? I’m glad you asked. Right then and there I understood. That mere act of kindness from the cashier had overcome the gloom that had invaded our day. She didn’t say anything special, nor anything out of the ordinary; she had only smiled when she asked about our day. She had been friendly.

                Right there, in that parking lot, I made a decision. That is how I want us to be. I want us to be willing to make a difference for the better in someone’s day. I have strived to become that person. I pray every day for the Lord to help me be a light in someone’s life, and to spread joy to those I come in contact with. I firmly believe that He will do the rest.

                That cashier, whose name I never knew, has no idea that she changed my life that day. So again I will ask you, “Whose life will you change today?”