Monday, June 28, 2010

Jesus' Heart for Stressed Rushers...

Today, as I did my grocery shopping...with my two little puddle jumpers SPLASHERS...I was struck by the attitudes and faces around me. Granted, it's been incredibly HOT, humid and stormy in our part of the world...so, I shouldn't have expected huge amounts of cheerfulness.

Generally, my children are well received (yes, even in the grocery stores)...cuz they're cute. Why? DUH , what kinda dumb questions is that...why? Tsk!! Hank, our favorite greeter, is always happy to see us...but the rest of the day was stressful! We really annoyed an older woman in the toothpaste aisle. I didn't even see her...I was going over the rules of the store..."you must be holding the cart at all times. if you are not holding the cart you will be riding in the cart. do you understand?" If looks could kill...I'd at least be badly injured. *sigh*

Going to and from the stores I was seriously tailgated...going into and out of the stores, my little brood and I, were irritatedly waved across the parking lot. Hurry, hurry...rush rush rush. I smile at EVERYONE...it's one of my irritating better qualities. Today I only counted a few smiles back...and those were mostly workers who know me. Weird!

So, I brooded about it on the way home. Yes, it did get to me...and I knew that being angry and irritated was only passing on the rotten feeling. I wondered about what Jesus would do...and of course, you know my penchant for what DID Jesus do...so...here's what I think. I think, it would have made him sad...to see the lost, rushed and weary. They were searching and scurrying and tired and frustrated.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Don't get me wrong...I think Jesus called sin SIN...and judged rightly those who were in the WRONG...but well, for one thing...I'm not Jesus (*gasp*) and no one wronged me by their grouchy attitudes. It is SO easy to just catch the grouchy disease...instead of stopping to consider these poor, sad and lost souls. I know the Healer for all their hurts. I'm challenged to ACT LIKE IT...and openly share when I can! So, I'm gonna smile anyway...

3 comments:

nannykim said...

Well, sometimes I think people are just in their own thought world and don't really SEE the others around them. I am OFTEN like this when I am at the grocery store!! I don't know what it is, but I am usually very focused on getting the items on my list and I will often fail to see the people around me. I think with me it is because I am focusing on the task at hand, perhaps! I am not in a hurry.....Also sometimes I am just thinking on things in my mind--guess I tend to be like an absent minded professor---So perhaps you were seeing some folks like me....just kindof in their own world. I am not really excusing this--my hubby has brought it to my attention!

Barbara H. said...

Great response, Bobbi! I'm too prone to let that kind of thing color my day and "pass it on."

Bobbi said...

Oh dear nannykim, don’t worry about your absent minded self. No, I think I can tell the difference. Someday, I hope to be able to go to the grocery store and be in my own little world (sans kids). HAHA! I don’t think everyone has to be “ON” all the time...good grief, I’m surely NOT...but there are quite a lot of people who will look right at your smile and then frown, sigh, roll their eyes or do all three. It’s for them that I’m mostly referring...my heart feels for them in their intense unhappiness.