Joyful Transformation

Tonight I stopped by Wal-Mart to get something sensible to eat for dinner. DH is out of town and I didn’t have to cook (like I ever do) or worry about what anyone else was eating. I only had four items in my hand, but there was only one express lane open. So I found the shortest other line to get in with my stuff. This sweet lady had almost finished unloading her cart and told me that I could go ahead of her. “Oh that’s OK” I said. “No really, I am not in a hurry and you only have a few things.” Well, I have done this to others on many occasions, but I do believe that is the first time it has happened to me. It made me feel good. It renewed my faith in the overall goodness of people. I left that store walking a little lighter, encouraged by the simple act of a stranger.

That made me think of a card I received last week. My sweet friend wrote me a note saying that you hardly remember what people say or do, but that she would always remember the way that I made her feel. Wow! I have said those words over and over to myself since then. It was a time for her to be honored, and I was privileged to be a part of honoring her and her family, just by being there. She felt the love that I (and her other friends) had for them.

So how are you making people feel? How do I make people feel? Am I usually more concerned with how I feel? Truly, just like the lady at the store, it doesn’t take much; A small gesture, a kind look, a pleasant word. Sometimes I wish that I wasn’t driven so much by the way that I feel, but I am, and I think if you are honest you will find that you are too!