Etchings

Did a grocery run today. King Supers.

Got the handful of things that we just had to have before our company came tonight and then went and got in line.

The line that says: "Express Lane - 15 items or less."

The line was backed up. To join it I had to stand half in the main flow of traffic.

I looked up and saw why express had gone to depress.

The person in the front had a lot more than 15 items and had decided to push the store's courtesy policy.

I (and others) eyed the cashier who was caught between enforcing the rules and facing probable conflict.

She chose no conflict...and just kept smiling while eyeing us nervously.

We all stood and waited.

What really caught my eye were the eyes of the lady's two daughters.

Fully sensitive to the situation, they were glancing nervously at their mother and then at us.

Finally she was done, grabbed her sacks of stuff and motioned for her girls to follow.

And I wondered about how far they will follow...oh, not just out this door, but will they follow their mother into a lifestyle of me first, the rules can be cheated on, presume on others goodness of heart.

And I thought about Jesus words: "whoever causes one of the least of these to sin..."

It's a lot of little things in life that add up to character...a lot of little things that etch out the true character that is us.

May our littlest actions come together, like the tapping of a chisel on stone, and may what is seen be the face of Christ in the world.

Selah..

David