The grocery store can often be a very frustrating and stressful place. Children running mad in the aisles while mothers are trying to find the best deal, college students busy chatting away on their cell phones not paying attention to anyone around, and of course, the slow shopper who always seems to be in the way. I usually feel exhausted after even a short trip to the grocery store, and I do not even have children yet! I can only imagine how other shoppers feel.
I have mentioned before that one of the ways Christians can share Christ with those in the world is through their actions. There are so many ways that a Christian’s actions should be different from the actions of those within the world. By shining as a light in the world, hopefully those outside of Christ will notice how you are different from others.
So, why I have mentioned the frustration of the grocery store AND a Christian’s actions? When I was at the grocery store today I observed some pretty hideous behavior between two adults. One person was a middle-aged woman checking out and the other person was a young woman who was working as the cashier. The first time the older woman ran her debit card through the machine and she apparently ran the card too early, so she needed to run her card again. The cashier asked her to run it again, stating that she had run the card too early, and the woman immediately took a defensive stance saying that she knew what she was doing and she had not run her card too early. After this an argument ensued, and eventually the older woman asked for a manager to come deal with the cashier.
Both individuals acted poorly. I was so embarrassed for both of their actions that I left that line. Their argument was reminiscent of an argument between five-year-olds. While I was thinking about what had happened, I thought about how the situation could have been handled differently, and how a change in either person’s attitude might have made the outcome of the situation change dramatically. I also thought about what a great opportunity it would have been for a Christian to have a great attitude in a trying circumstance, making a lasting impression on others in the world.
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