*Names are changed in this post to protect the privacy of individuals. I asked the individuals if I could share the story and they each gave permission and asked for prayer. Tonight when I left work, I headed over to Aldi. While in the store, I picked up a few items and spoke with the cashier. I made a joke about "If it doesn't ring up, It's free." She said "I've never seen anything for free, well at least not anything worth having." After paying, I took my groceries out to my car. Upon returning my cart to the front of the store, I didn't notice anyone getting out of their cars. So I was getting ready to hook the cart back up and a woman approached me. I dropped the lock and the said "Here you go ma'am."
"Let me give you a quarter for this cart." she said. "No, Ma'am, please take the cart and hang on to your quarter." As she took the cart by it's handle, she looked at me one last time and that's when I noticed the tears in her eyes. I said "Ma'am, I don't know what you are going through, but I want you to know that God is there with you every step of the way." she looked at me and smiled; "Thank you." Her phone rang and I heard her say "*Maggie's phone." and as I was walking back to my car, I heard a young man (HS age) say "I've never seen Jesus before."
I kept walking and got in my car and he said a bit louder "Miss, thank you. I asked God for a sign that there are still good people in the world. You're the answer to that prayer." Another man also heard the young man and stayed near by listening. I asked the young man his name and he said "Jimmy*" I then asked "Why did you ask God for a sign that there are good people in the world?" His reply touched my heart.
"Over the past few weeks of school, I've been considered the outsider. The seniors are making my life hell. I've been targeted, called all manner of names that are derogatory for a homosexual because I don't have a girlfriend and I am not sleeping around. I am a Christian, and honestly I just don't know what I believe any more. I came here to tell my mom good night and good-bye."
Seeing tears in my eyes, the bystander asked "What do you mean, Good-bye?" He continued, "Well, I've reported the students at school and they are unrelenting and it seems that the administration doesn't care because I am not a popular student. So I figure "If they don't care, God doesn't care and if God doesn't care, why should I? I honestly just want to die! So I was going home to end my life before my mom got home from work." I told the kid, "My entire life has been fraught with bullying. If I write something on social media, I am put down. I have been lied about by my best friends, I have been attacked, called names and told that I was stupid. However, God has been with me every step of the way, and He's with you. Do you believe in Jesus?" Jimmy said "Yeah, I do." I asked Jimmy if I could pray with him...he said "Yes, please." So we prayed; then I walked him into Aldi to meet with his mom and to stay with her. She was getting off at 8:00pm, but we asked her manager to run the register, so she could talk with her son. We told her about what her son had planned. I left the young man with his mom, and walked to my car, the mom came to the door and said "I guess some things are free and they are good things and worth having."
Today, I experienced God in a major way--I saw a young man turn from wanting to commit suicide because of bullying. A mom saw that God's salvation goes beyond saying a prayer, but that God saved her son's life for free and it was worth having. A young man experienced God in seeing a woman hand over a cart at Aldi and not taking a quarter for it. An elderly woman experienced God when she was told "Hang on to your quarter."
I don't know about you all, but God is amazing...even in the ordinariness of life!
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