Well folks, my faith in mankind has been renewed and I feel wonderful. I'm not sure if I ever actually LOST my faith in mankind, but it'd be easy to do when by the end of the day you can count the times you've been cut-off, been rude to, talked back to, or my personal favorite is when someone sees me coming in a store with a toddler by the hand and a heavy car seat in the other hand (holding the world's heaviest baby!) and they CHOSE NOT TO HOLD OPEN THE DOOR FOR ME. I love that.
So anyway, yesterday I took a few minutes and left C with the girls so I could have a break from the sick house. I ran to Red Lead to get some supplies for an invite I have to create for Abbie. Red Lead is the most amazing and inspirational store around... filled with fun things to create with in every nook and cranny. It's owned by two sisters! How amazing would it be to run an ART store with your sister? Dream come true, that is if Abbie and I weren't so completely different! :) Anyway, I've shopped there for years and love it. So I take my time picking out my papers and some fun little extras and when I've decided Chris is probably at his breaking point I head up to pay. Well, I was short. Not too much, but enough that I told the owner to go ahead and take that amount of stuff out and I would come back another day to get it. This is what she said, "Go ahead and take it, you can owe me."
Say what?
That's right. She let me leave her store on the faith that I would come back some day and repay her the money owed. I seriously couldn't believe it. And even though I KNEW I would go back and pay her, I insisted that she just take out the merchandise b/c I didn't want any part of her thinking I would never come back. I didn't want to be to her, like the person that doesn't hold the door for me. But she insisted harder, and b/c I really was excited to play last night, I gave her what I had and left.
I went back tonight and gave them the money, of course, by the way. But the point is that she trusted me. Like seriously trusted me. A stranger. Maybe a face she recognized from shopping there from time to time, but for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger. It filled my heart. The way she treated me is how I'd like to think I treat people. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and offering my kindness. At least I strive to be like that. I may not hit it every day, but I will tell you one thing, I'm going to try harder now. That was one of those life moments that you walk away from knowing that you are forever changed.
When I went back she wasn't working, her sister was, and I was sad b/c I wanted to hug her. Hug her and bring her home for a turkey dinner with all the fixings. Ok, whatever, Imo's. But you understand. I wanted to thank her and let her know how much she touched my heart. I gave her a note that said basically that, minus the stalker turkey dinner part.
So my faith has returned, or maybe I should say it's just strengthened. Go to Red Lead. Shop their store. Put money in a place that actually deserves it!
And on a quick side note, Bailey is sick. Have I mentioned that this week yet? She's had a fever since Sunday and a high fever since Monday night. I haven't gone to bed yet from yesterday b/c last night her fever spiked at 104.5 and she threw-up (in our bed which was nice). So needless to say I'm tired and fairly cranky after being stuck home all day with Bails who felt terrible and Parker who was ready to party. God knew that I needed such amazing kindness yesterday to keep me smiling today. I love it when He totally knows what I need to keep going. Please pray that she sleeps tonight and the fever stays down.
And go to Red Lead.
