Before I traveled to Florida, I was happily navigating through Walmart in search of stickers for my grandchildren. Pushing through the women’s clothing section to get to the party aisle, I was thinking of my 5 little ones and especially of baby number 6 (who now has a name and face) when suddenly, out of nowhere, my own mother’s voice rang out in my head. “Margaret, shame on you. Pick that up.”
I’d just wheeled my cart around a grey fleece hoodie lying on the Walmart floor. Mom’s reprimand prompted a memory of decades before when I was a self-centered 15 year old. She and I were often at odds during those days, but we found ourselves on a shopping trip together at Wieboldt’s department store, searching for an outfit I needed but didn’t want.
Wandering amongst the circular racks of clothes, we came to a dress lying on the floor. Without breaking stride, Mom bent over, picked it up and hung it back on the rack. My inappropriate thought was, “They pay people to do that.” But I kept it to myself, to escape a lecture.
Despite my self-absorbed mindset, Mom’s good deed left a mark that lasted 50 years. She hadn’t picked up the dress to teach me a lesson or earn credit with me or anybody else. She did it because she knew someone had to do it, and her thought was it might as well be her. She could help, so she did. It was the right thing to do.
Knowing the right thing to do and doing it, not for credit, not to impress, and not in response to being told to do it, is a good way to live. I would imagine it’s very satisfying. Some people go through life trying to do as little as possible, working to tweak every set of circumstances to their advantage. Others not only live to be helpful, but it doesn’t even cross their minds to step over the clothing.
What is God’s view? Although he’s always overseeing the events on earth, his eyes scanning the crowds, I think he’s watching us especially carefully when we’re alone. How do we act when no one’s looking? Do we cut corners? Stretch the truth? Eat/drink/watch what we shouldn’t? Waste time/money? Do the bare minimum? Maneuver the shopping cart around the garment on the floor?
If we pictured a literal Jesus at our elbow, joining in on whatever we were doing, would we act differently? No doubt.
I turned around, picked up the hoodie, and hung it on the rack.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
I forgot about Wieboldt’s Dept. Store. Thanks, for the memory, and also the reminder to “just do it!”. Mom worked at Goldblatt’s, on State St…..Childrens’ Wear.
A few years back, I attended a conference in North Carolina and went to the ladies rest room. After washing my hands, I wiped up all the puddles I found on the counter by habit. There was another lady picking up the paper towels on the floor that hadn’t made it into the waste basket. We stopped, looked at each other, and laughed. We obviously had similar mothers, “Leave a place in better condition than you found it.”
Thank you for the stickers 🙂 The kids LOVE them!!! They carry everything around in those 3 little bags you sent!
Having our mothers in our heads is a great gift…(if we had good mothers!) and mine is always popping in, unannounced, insistent, and always with a message I need to hear. Although that annoyingly untheological card years ago reminded us that ‘God couldn’t be everywhere so He created mothers”–maybe the practical truth is God IS everywhere and often in the voice of our mothers!! 🙂
This such a good reminder……many years ago, my youngest (a boy)…gave me a little gift for mother’s day…a baby with a banner across it’s body….”God couldn’t be everywhere so He created Mother’s)….it has sat either in my kitchen window or on the counter somewhere….now….on top of the back of my stove…..I see it everyday! (I think he was telling me…at that time in his life…he was sure I could see around corners and had eyes in the back of my head..and spies – everywhere!) I am the same – picking up things other people walk by..because it’s the right thing to do!
My mother left indelible moments of truth on my heart, but I also can’t help but think of my father who impressed upon me at a very young age to always do the right and good thing not because you want to impress someone or because you are afraid of punishment, but simply because it is the right thing to do. That simple truth has grown more and more profound as I grow in Christ.
My constant reminder to my children–take ownership and do any job that needs to be done.If you see it–then you own it! A beautiful story Margaret.