Be a Blessing. Receive a Blessing!

I have had some beautiful blessings in the past few weeks. These blessings revived my spirits and caused me to feel hopeful about the world. They didn't come as a tangible gift or a compliment. No, each of these blessings came from serving another.

If you want to help someone you don't have to look any further than your local discount store. I don't mean people in need of money or fashion advice, just people trying to get through life. In the past two weeks I've found opportunities to assist in unexpected ways. In both instances the persons needing aid were elderly (that means older than me) women with scooter issues.

One lady rode her scooter into the bathroom and couldn't back it out. Every time she tried to back out of the bathroom she hit the front wall, reversed, hit the back wall, went forward and hit the wall again. For 10 minutes she bounced off the walls. I finally talked her into getting off the scooter and leaning on me while a young woman pushed the scooter out of the bathroom. As she leaned heavily on me and the wall, I realized she could not hold herself up for long. Perhaps she had suffered a stroke in the past, I don't know. We got her back on her scooter and on her way.

The next week, another lady. She struggled in the clothing racks with a scooter which would start and stop, but not when she wanted it to. Alerted by the backup beeping and frustrated sighs, I approached her and asked if she needed help. She explained her frustration and I offered to get another one for her.The shock on her face surprised me. "Oh, I couldn't asked you to do that," she said. There wasn't another working scooter at the front of the store, so I found one in the parking lot and rode it back in. The snail's pace of the scooter reminded me of how helpless I felt when I had to use one. After trading out the scooters, I walked away. "You have been such a blessing," she said. My heart soared.

What if we made it our goal each day to bless someone?  It doesn't have to be done on a grand scale. Be aware of the people around you, especially in public. Smile, open a door, let someone go in front of you at a checkout line. Enjoy the shock and surprise of your fellow human.

Thank you, Lord. It takes so little effort to give and receive a blessing.