We did have one interesting development
when we were at Kroger. We went because
they finally started the canned goods sale that Chris waits for all year. With your Kroger card, if you buy in
increments of ten, you can get really low prices on cans of soup (Chris heads
straight for the cream of mushroom and cream of chicken, the ones she uses to
cook with all the time). Then she heads
over to the vegetable aisle (actually it’s the same isle, just further
down). It took some searching but we
finally found the Green Giant green beans and corn. That’s what I expected. This year, though, she added ten of those
cans of milk (not the good, sweet kind that magically transform into pudding
pie. This was the kind that she uses for
frozen cheesecake, I think). She was
also going to get ten cans of those refrigerated crescent rolls, but they were
completely out already. So with our
basket piled high with cans, we headed for the checkout.
And that’s where things got a little
dicey. I began unloading cans onto the
checkout area, can after can after can.
That’s when I noticed it. Chris was
tearing apart her purse, taking things out and rearranging things. She couldn’t find her Kroger card. It just wasn’t in there. She asked if I had mine with me, but I
stopped carrying mine a long time ago, primarily because she always has
hers. I know where mine is kept, safely
hidden away where it won’t take up space in my already overcrowded wallet. When it finally became out turn I stopped the
checker before he got started and asked if there was a way to use our card
without having it with us. He smiled and
assured us all we needed was the phone number it was filed under. Relieved, I told him the number … and it didn’t
work. Now that was odd, but then I remembered
that after Hurricane Ike we often used my cell number for things like this, so I
tried that one. Still no luck. This was very strange. We both knew we had a card and had used it
any number of times, but what possible phone number could it be under? I had no idea. Chris had no idea. We sighed and resigned ourselves to leaving without
our cache of canned goods, when the checker had an idea. “I can just give you the senior
discount. It may not be as much, but at
least it’s something.” Well, sometimes
it’s great to be old, but Chris said never mind, that we would just come back. Sensing our disappointment and obvious
distress, he had another idea, “We could use someone else’s card. Like the lady in line behind you.” Sure enough, an older lady stood patiently
there behind Chris, her own Kroger card clutched in her hand. She had obviously been listening, and happily
handed her card over, saying, “Here you go.
After all, us old folks gotta stick together, don’t we?” Indeed we do, my new friend. Indeed we do.
We loaded up our sixty cans and our $40
receipt (not a bad savings, I must say) and headed for home. Phase one of Thanksgiving shopping
complete. Oh, yes. After we got home I checked in my secret
stash, and sure enough, there was my Kroger card. I gave it to Chris. No sense having a repeat of such an
embarrassing situation. But then again,
we did get to experience a random act of kindness from a fellow old person. I think I’ll take that as a “Thank you, Lord”
moment for the week.
1 Chronicles 29:12-13 says, “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the
ruler of all things. In your hands are
strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise
your glorious name.”
Father, thank you for special moments to
connect with total strangers, especially when it involves a chance to
experience a giving event. Grant us some
opportunities to be on the giving end.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment