The other day, I wasn’t getting anything accomplished at home so decided to run the long list of errands I’d been putting off – seven stops.
Last on the list was Walmart, and by the time I got there, I was dragging. While shopping at mega-stores, I usually have too many items to wade through the self-checkout process, but today I had only half-a-cartful and went for it.
Struggling to figure out the code for onions, I looked toward the self-check employee for help, and she stepped right over. “You don’t have to scroll through all the produce pictures,” she said. “Just look at the sticker on your onion. See that number? Punch it in right here.” She pointed to the screen, encouraging me do it myself.
Then she said something I didn’t expect. “You sure do smell good.”
I looked at her face and saw she was just a teenager, which made her compliment all the nicer. “It’s my laundry detergent,” I said. After smiling at me, she moved away to help someone else, leaving the sweetness of her remark behind.
I thought about this young girl as I pushed my cart toward the doors, wondering if she was always kind like that. And then I thought about my own off-the-cuff remarks and how often I give in to whining, complaining, or criticizing. Those things seem to come naturally, while voicing words of benefit to another often takes studied effort.
The Walmart girl had been a wonderful example of how it ought to work. And right away I thought of another good example: God.
The greater part of his words to us are kind ones, full of positive promises. They’re meant to encourage us when we’re low and strengthen us when we’re weak. They dissolve our fears, give us hope, deliver peace. Best of all, they’re words of love. If I take in more of God’s sweet words, surely more sweet words will come out of me.
When I next went to Walmart, I looked for my favorite self-check girl, anxious to have another conversation with her. It was her uplifting words that were drawing me back to her. I’m pretty sure God’s uplifting words are meant to draw me back to him, too. And though the sweet-speaking Walmart girl wasn’t available that day, God was.
“Let your conversation be always full of grace…” (Colossians 4:6)
