Finding God in Walmart

This is a the fourth installment in a series I'm writing concerning the theme "Examples of Faith." I'm writing this one based on a recent personal experience.

The Cashier's story:

It never ceases to amaze me how easily it is for me to get caught off guard by the actions of others. Case in point:

I was walking through Walmart the other day....and before I continue let me stop here and say that I really try to avoid going to Walmart whenever possible. It's typically just too crowded for my liking. Anyhow, as I was checking out the cashier asked me how I was doing. Of course, I gave the predictable..."Good and you?" My mind was elsewhere at the time and for whatever reason I was a little zoned out, so I was not really even thinking of what I was saying, or even asking for that matter. The cashier immediately responded by saying, "Blessed by the best and praying for the rest." I was so taken back by this response that I didn't really comprehend all of it at the moment. At the time all I heard was "Blessed" and "Praying"...I really didn't even put the rest of her statement together until I was halfway out the door. I did, however, manage to tell her "God bless you" before I left. It was more an attempt to salvage a lost opportunity more than anything else.

As I left Walmart the significance of her words finally hit me. "Blessed by the Best". The "Best" referring to God and "Praying for the rest" is fairly self explanatory. As I drove off in my car I felt that this was not only a lesson, but also a missed opportunity.

The Lesson: One can find God even in places we would never expect to find Him. In my situation, I really don't like going to Walmart. So, my priority was to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I wanted to get in and out without much thought or interaction with another human being. Then God showed up (through the cashier) and reminded me that He is everywhere, even in places that we would never think to look.

The Missed Opportunity: I felt as though this was a missed opportunity because I didn't take advantage of the situation by expressing my delight and surprise after hearing the cashier's words. What boldness and great faith she showed to express her love for God in such an openly manner. I even heard her repeat it to the person checking out behind me as I walked away.

Final Thoughts:
Later that night, I asked God for forgiveness because I felt as though I didn't do or say enough during that situation. At this point, I'm still not sure what I would have said or done differently, but saying something (anything) would have been better than nothing. I'll be sure not to make the same mistake again.

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

God bless you. And this is for His Glory.