What’s up with this place?!

In a country with all of our modern and time saving conveniences you’d think we would be more apt to take the time we should, to do the things we should. Case in point: I am heading back to work today after grabbing lunch and as I am coming through a grocery store parking lot I see a guy getting into his truck. He has just emptied the contents of his basket into his truck and is getting ready to leave. Does he kindly take his shopping cart back into the store? Mind you, he is in the second parking spot and it’s maybe 30-40yds tops. Does he take the cart to the nearest cart corral?

 NO!!! He does not; he leaves it in the spot next to his and watches it for a second to make sure it doesn’t move. As he climbs into his truck, eyes still on the cart, it starts to s.l.o.w.l.y. creep out of its spot. He watches…….and watches…….as it picks up speed, with no intention of getting out to stop it. BAM!!!!!!!! It hits the mini-van behind me. The driver of the mini-van gets out, as does the man who left the cart to do as it pleases, and grabs the cart. As I watch to see what the guy, who left the cart, is going to do….expecting that he will apologize and finally take the cart to one of the two places, he shrugs his shoulders as if to say “oh man, that sucks” and watches the driver of the mini-van take it into the store, while he hops into his truck and takes off.

In my walk with Christ I have learned that you have to be patient with people and understand them before you try to be understood. I always try to think, “What would Jesus do?” In this case he may have pulled a Gibbs (NCIS) and slapped the guy across the back of the head………….No, I doubt it. What he would have done, is just as the man in the mini-van had done. He would have grabbed the cart, and shown the man that left it how easy it was to put away. It’s not always easy to bite our tongues and not lash out at other people, but it is what’s best. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t say anything, and let people do as they please. But don’t you think people are more likely to follow your lead if you kindly grab their hand and show them the way, instead of pushing them from behind.

It’s kind of funny. Truth be told, I started this post as a rant towards a guy who didn’t put up his shopping cart. As I wrote it and explained the Love that the guy in the mini-van showed, my feeling towards the situation and perspective on it did a 180. I guess if I can add one more thing to take from this………stop and count to 10. When you see something that upsets you or throws you for a loop, stop and think about it for a second. Think about the kind man that put up the other dudes shopping cart, and remember that Gods Love exceeds all others. “What would Jesus do?”

Brian Crosson