Tom's Message: "A Dare"
Hope you’re having a full day! A day full of thanks! A day full of praise in your heart! A day full of kindness!
Ok. I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’m going to dare you to do something.
In fact, I’m going to double-dog dare you to!
If you go to Krogers today…park kind of away from the front…
(like down the hill of the parking lot toward the gas pumps)…
…as you’re walking up to the front of Krogers, look and see if anyone is emptying their groceries out of their cart into their car. If you can tell that they’re almost done emptying it out and that the next thing they have to do is to turn around and push their cart into the cart bin somewhere and they start to look for it…
give a cheery smile and say, “Hey! I’m going that way! Want me to take your cart and push it into the bin for ya?”
Or…
if you’re done with picking up what you needed to pick up inside and you’re walking toward your car with your cart, and you can tell someone’s just finished unloading their cart and they have to look around and see where to push it, just say, “Hey! I’m heading down this way with my stuff! Want me to push your cart into the bin? I’m going that way!”
At first they may look at you with a hint of puzzlement.
“What are you actually saying to me??”
And suddenly…
there is the moment when they realize that you’re walking past the bin anyway, and that out of pure kindness and consideration, you’re offering to relieve them of the pain in the re@r of having to look around and push their dang cart into a random cart bin they can’t seem to find!
They turn and look into your face
Their eyes brighten.
They may even moisten with tears.
They realize that in that parking lot and into their day, someone has appeared who recognizes that we are all fellow humans, all struggling with the chores and cares of life but also all crafted in the image of our Creator and of infinite value in the eyes of God.
And for the briefest of moments someone has confirmed to me that we are all worthy of simple human kindness because we are all together, simple humans.
“Wow. Thank you soooo much!”
“Oh! Yes!! Thank you!”
“That is so kind of you!!”
It’s such a little thing but they may think about it through the day!
“At Kroger, someone was kind to me today. It was the brightest moment of a long and difficult one!”
Be confident, cheerful and maybe practice your line a time or two…
(“Hey! I’m going that way! Want me to push your cart into the cart bin?”)
Krogers kindness is the coolest!
So is all kinds of kindness!!
Try it!!
I double-dog dare you!
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
Mother Teresa