As much as I hate the Walmart Experience, it can't compare to how I feel about Atwoods. Unfortunately, this happens to be my husband's very favoritest hang out in Poteau. But, he promised, promised, PROMISED it would be short and sweet so I put on my happy face and trudged along. (are you beginning to get a feel for my attitude this day??)
I was checking out a sale rack of little garden decorations, battling with myself over whether I really needed what I had in my hand...on sale, or not. The checkbook won, I put it back on the shelf and turned to go. A lady there caught my eye...she looked familiar at first but then I realized I didn't know her at all. She must have reminded me of someone, I guess. I smiled and proceeded onward but she stopped me. Typically, I'm in my rushed, borderline bad mood frame of mind when shopping, especially in the farm store but something stopped me from being that way. She asked me, very quietly, if I had a cell phone she could use to make a call and apologized for bothering me while I was shopping. I was embarrassed that she thought she was bothering me, told her she was NOT a bother and handed her my phone.
Her nervousness took over and she began to ramble while she was trying to figure out how to dial my phone. Said she was having car trouble and I'm thinkin', "It's too dang hot for car trouble today." So I asked her what was up with the car. Josh and I are pretty experienced broken car handlers, after all. Then she told she didn't even know where she was, that she had just been passing thru when her dad had chest pains and had to go to the ER, was admitted to the hospital and she had no idea how far she was from home (Moutainburg, AR). I could hear the desperation in her voice and then the embarrassment when she said that she thought she was just out of gas and she'd have to call her sister to Western Union her some money. My heart broke. All I could think about was how scary it'd be to be trapped somewhere with no money, no gas, and no way to get hold of anyone. She was at the mercy of total strangers.
You know, to this day, I have never had to change my own flat. Every single time, there has always been someone to stop and insist on changing it for me. Anytime I've had any kind of car trouble, even just locking the keys in it, someone has always been more than happy to help me out. How could I NOT help this lady? I couldn't help her fast enough.
I found Josh, asked him how far she was from home and filled him in as easily as I could, I didn't want to further embarrass her. He picked up on it and handed over his card. I asked her if she had enough gas to get to a station. Her teenager daughter was driving...she followed me to the Tote-A-Poke, told me she rolled in on fumes. Funny how you have just enough when you really need it. I had my Skillet tee shirt on and she and I decided we were both their biggest fans.....ever. :)
The momma must have said thank you a dozen times and nearly cried twice and all I kept thinkin' was how cool it was that the steps we'd both taken that day had led our paths to cross. I had nearly thrown a "Krista-fit" when Josh insisted we stop at Atwoods. We'd have fought, but I'd have gotten my way....and missed this huge blessing in the midst of it. These experiences are always very humbling...and as much as that little lady thought I helped her...I know the truth. My perspective has needed some changing...I've been in a "poor, pitiful me" state of mind lately. Nothing like staring into the eyes of someone who has nothing to change your point of view. So God and I both know: She was MY help that day.
"And I'll be my brother's keeper, so the whole world will know that we're not alone...." -Matt Maher
1 comment:
Good job ;)
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