David wrote of the future King that was to come and the character that he would display. This morning, as I was reading this verse, I couldn't help but think that if Christ was to be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, then perhaps his kids should be as well! This was the thought I pondered as I went to the grocery store.
In the check-out line, an older woman in front of me did not have enough money to pay for her goods. She said she could get the money from her daughter-in-law but the clerk needed to complete the transaction and suggested that she simply void purchases until it balanced with the amount of money that she had with her. Two items were deleted. Two items that are traditional Christmas purchases in our country.
I noticed a younger woman in front of me that inquired as to how much the older woman needed. She winched at the price. Too much for her generosity. A "hipster" couple behind me waited impatiently. They had healthy food and little of it and this was a distraction in their day. The clerk was polite but needed to proceed for her line was long and customers ill at ease with the amount of time she had already taken with the older lady. And there I was, in the middle, hearing from God.
I asked the clerk for the discarded items and told her I would buy them. Even though the 14 euro was NOT in my budget I knew that I was in the middle of a "spring rain on freshly cut grass" kind of moment. My groceries had not all been scanned but the older lady was leaving the store. When I told the clerk that I needed to give the two items to her, I glanced at Hipster man who I knew would be irritated. Instead, I was met with a gesture that said "go" and I ran out of the store to present the old lady with her two items.
I gave them to her, said they were a gift, told her I was still in the process of checking out and if she needed to go I understood. I ran (literally) back into the store anticipating Hipster man to be annoyed with my pile of groceries only to find him filling my cart with the items the clerk was scanning! I fell all over myself thanking him while the clerk asked me if I was the old woman's daughter-in-law? I proceeded to tell her that I didn't known the woman but simply knew I was to buy her items for her. She gave me a blank stare, smiled, and then shook her head in amazement.
There's more to this story but I need to express to you the cultural context. Grocery stores can be a nightmare. People hate long lines and will shout, out loud, while in line for another lane to open. Clerks usually get paid for the amount of things they scan in a measurable time frame so to say that the pace of scanning is lighting fast would be an understatement. And yet, today, spring rain fell on a cold and foggy day in my corner of the world and among the Austrian people I love so dearly. My act of obedience seemed to trigger a chain reaction of refreshment that scattered itself wide and far reaching.
Let's be people of refreshment. Let's bring an atmosphere of refreshment into the environments we live in, work in, and play in for the glory of God!!
P.S. The "more" to this story is that the older woman waited for me. We had a great conversation and she couldn't stop kissing my cheeks. She wanted to repay me to which I objected. She wanted to know why I had purchased what she could not. I was able to share with her that God had planted the idea in my head to bless her and that the generosity she received was the generosity of God, Himself. She wanted to know if I believed in healing and invited me to attend a New Age documentary on the power of spiritual healing. She gave me her phone number to call if I had any questions. As we parted, she kissed my cheeks again and said "Perhaps God wanted us to meet today?" I walked home not doubting that for a minute. I smiled as I thought about my next meeting with her, my new friend Frau Hoffbauer, when I get to tell her about THE HEALER and how He will change her life forever!
