Witness

Matthew 25: 35-40

The young mother struggled to put her toddler and infant in the grocery cart so that the groceries could also find a home. Diapers, formula, eggs, bread, etc., all the regular items needed for nourishment for growing children. The grocery basket was full of children and bags of groceries. The clerk told the Mother the total for the groceries. I was busy emptying my cart onto the conveyor belt to be ready to be checked out when the young Mother finished. I had everything out of my basket and was ready to go.

However, there seemed to be a slight problem. The cashier and the young Mother were looking through each bag of groceries and were removing items. Smiling, I asked what was happening. The cashier said that the young Mother was $37 short so they were removing $37 worth of groceries from her cart. The young Mother appeared to be quiet embarrassed and the little girls were becoming restless.
As I stood there and watched them searching for items to remove, I found myself saying, “Let’s just leave everything in the bags and I will cover the difference”. I wasn’t sure where that voice was coming from, but I put my credit card in the machine to complete the transaction. The young Mother tried to protest, but with a gentle hug, I assured her that it was OK. She said that she would give me the money next time that she saw me.

When I got to my car, I sat for a moment feeling the power of that still small voice, thanking God for giving me the opportunity to be His hands and feet for that young Mother today.

We witness for Christ in many ways. As Matthew 25:35-40 says, we can feed, clothe, provide shelter and minister to the sick and this is a witness of our faith no matter how insignificant the act may seem to us. Our biggest challenge when witnessing is to listen and look for that small voice and opportunity. We tend to be so busy and wrapped up in our happenings that we often miss the opportunities that God provides for us.

Dear God,
Please give each of us the eyes, ears, and hearts to react to your small voice when you are calling and leading us to be a witness for you. Thank you for all the many witnesses who have gone before us and will continue to follow us. In Your Son’s name. AMEN

Patty Clark