WHY I NO LONGER USE THE SELF CHECK OUT IN THE STORE

I was going to make cookies with my family, but we needed ingredients, so me and my sister run over to the closest grocery store, now let me tell you this is the first time I had gone into a store like this for three months, so you can tell the excitement is real! We only needed a few things, so I left my sister in the car and ran on into the store.

As I was walking in the store I saw a full parking lot and many people rushing inside with me, the store was full of people, rushing about to get their shopping down and getting ready for the holidays, as thanksgiving has already passed, and Christmas is closely coming. I got my chocolate covered pretzels and baked goods and started heading towards the check out.

People passing by me, with masks, full of food in their carts. With a pandemic around people were trying top avoid other people, dodging carts, and trying to go through the store quickly, trying to avoid getting covid.

I make it to the front of the store, ready to check out and I see the self check out line, full of people, but was totally cool with waiting, as I knew that was the quicker and safer option. So I get in the line full of people and while waiting I glimpsed over and look at the regular check outs, you know the one that a person helps you with your groceries, yeah this one, they were all empty. Immedietly the Holy Spirit nudged me to get out of the line I was in and move to the regular check out. 

So I go on over and put my stuff on the table and a lady named Danielle was there with a giant smile on her face, as I was the only one to go through her lane. I start to talk to her about her day and she starts talking about how she misses when people would talk and have a simple conversation. So we finish taking and she gets me all checked out and said “THANK YOU”, I was a little thrown back at those words. She said thank you for being the one person that came and went through her lane, that so many people are so scared of. 

I walk out of that store with tears in my eyes, People were afraid to talk to other people. let alone stand next to someone. Danielle taught me something that spoke to me in a big way. It was so much easier and healthier for me to just go through the self check out and be on my way, I mean we are in a pandemic, right. She taught me the importance of seeing people as you go through your day. That their are people with Stories, people with your own hurts and struggles, that just want to be seen and maybe smiled at. I bet you just a wave would make someones day, it sure did made Danielles day!

So friends, now more than ever are people being distant from the world, some people haven’t left their homes in six months. We live in a world with this phrase, I bet you know about.” STAY SIX FEET APART.” Yes, we need to be doing this, but we also need to be loving people now more than ever. I want to be the person that stops to listen and talks to strangers and just love them.

   Wherever we go, and whatever we do, we will encounter other people. And that’s by God’s design. God has so ordered and arranged our daily lives that He has placed other people within our sphere of influence. And what’s more; whenever we go where these other people are, the Lord Jesus Himself goes there with us.

In His final words to His disciples, before He ascended to the Father, Jesus said, “And, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. And so, throughout our day, Jesus is with us as we make contact with the people He has sovereignly placed in our lives. Our encounters with people are not accidental. We can take it as fact that those encounters are divinely arranged by Him, and He accompanies us in them.

Friends, wherever we go this week, let’s go and love people wherever we go. Weather that’s at a grocery store, church, in line to get covid tested, our simply your neighbor down the street. Are you going to be the one to step out and be bold and say hi to that stranger, that has been waiting all day to be talked to.Lets go and be the hands and feet of God this week.