Juice not Judgement

I wasn’t going to share this but this morning I feel as though I should. Maybe it will encourage someone.

A couple days ago I was in the grocery store trying to decide what we would really during this time. I only grocery shop once a month and hadn’t really budgeted for this unexpected expense.

Anyway, I was in the check out line and there in front of me was a young girl with her baby girl (probably about 5 months old) she had a couple other young girls with her as well.

They were holding up the line because apparently she was picking up WIC but she must have picked up the wrong things because several of her items were going to have to be put back. They were not WIC approved.

The cashier began pulling out of the bags cereal (the good kind 😩) baby food, milk, juice etc. The cashier kept asking her if she’d like to just pay for the items with money. I wasn’t really paying attention to her answer but assumed she would.

Correcting the transaction was taking longer than I thought it would and I decided to go to a different line. When I did the first thought that came to me as the cashier continued to pull different unapproved items out of her bags was “Now she knew she couldn’t get that stuff on WIC 😏. People always trying to get over”

*****My first thought as I watch a mother buy food for her baby was a judgmental one😔I don’t know anything about her but there I was judging her choices. 😢*****

I finished paying for my groceries and walked out, moving slowly because I was wrestling in my spirit about the whole thing. She was a few steps ahead of me and I noticed she had left the rejected items at the register.

As I was walking out it dawned on me that she may or may not have been trying to get over. It wasn’t my judgement to make. I really didn’t know one way or the other.

What I did notice about her was how she handled the situation. She hadn’t been disrespected to the cashiers, she didn’t argue back at all. She didn’t try to make excuses as to why she had picked so many of the wrong things. She just silently stood there as they took back many of her things.

*****Y’all I cant explain it but there was something about her that just made me want to minister to her.💕 At that moment I had a decision to make. I could stand in self righteous judgement or I could repent and be her help.

I went back to the register and looked at the items; a couple boxes of cereal, milk, yogurt, juice, baby food and a few more items. I quickly checked my own card balance and found that I’d have just enough to help her.

Long story short I bought the items. When I gave them to her she didn’t scream or cry or show any real extravagant emotion. Instead she looked me in my eyes and softly said “Thank you ma’am”. She had a look on her face of slight disbelief as if Id say SIKE any moment and take it all back.

I quickly walked away before I broke out in tears. 😢 I wanted to give her a hug; wanted to grab her by the hand and pray for her and ask her if she knew Jesus. 🙏🏾

I don’t know her.

I have no idea if she appreciated those groceries or not. And it doesn’t matter one way or the other to me.

Here’s why I’m sharing this. When I got back into my car I heard the Holy Spirit ask “Why did you do it?”

By now I was trying to hold back tears but managed to say “Because I have enough faith to believe you’re going to provide for me and I don’t know if she has that same hope. And because I know exactly what it was like not to be able to buy food for my child but You provided for us every single time. All I can say is Father I’m grateful!”

Remember I said that I only go to the grocery store once a month and that I hadn’t budgeted for an extra trip. That means my groceries and the groceries I bought for the young lady caused me to spend money I really needed to save.

Oh, but if you know my DADDY!!!!

My Provider. The All Sufficient One!

I woke up this morning to find TWO unexpected deposits in my Paypal account. 🙌🏾😭💃🏽

In these uncertain times we must be completely convinced He is exactly who He says He is (Matthew 6: 30-34)

Don’t be afraid to give/share. Allow your faith to rise to another level in this season.

You’re the Jesus someone needs to encounter. You’re the answer to someone’s prayer!

He promised me that He’d never let me down.🌈 He never has.🕊 Acts 10:34 🦋

- Contributed by SJS