“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Romans 14:19).
Romans 14:19 came to life for me years ago in a Trader Joe’s.
I was trying to fill my cart while distracting my sensory-overloaded son with my phone. A woman walked past me, saw me struggling, and said, “You are doing a wonderful job!”
As I stepped into line, my son had an epic meltdown. I didn’t know what to do—abandon the cart? It was so crowded, that would be a nuisance. Try to come another time? But I was so close to checking out…
Then a man came, grabbed my cart, and brought me over to a newly opened check-out. Another Trader Joe’s employee brandished a roll of stickers and asked if my son might like some.
I was already overwhelmed by people’s encouragement and sincere desire to help me, when I heard someone next to me say, “Mom, are you okay checking out without me?”
Then this angel of a woman left her mom in line and offered to wheel my cart out to my car so I could hold and calm my son.
Tears welled up, I was so appreciative… and shocked. On the way out she started telling me how this had happened to her a couple of months ago. She had two kids with her, both melting down, and nobody helped her.
I asked her what she did and she laughed. She told me that once she managed to wrangle the groceries and kids outside and into the car, she called her husband and yelled at him.
This is the person I aspire to be. She experienced a horribly frustrating, peace-devoid experience and then called her husband to spread more not-peace. Then, instead of becoming bitter, she processed this experience as a reason to have her eyes open to how she could help others struggling with a similar situation.
She flipped the script like a master peacemaker.
And I am a better person because of the people I encountered that day.
Lord, help me to take messy, frustrating situations, and, like this woman, turn them into a quest to spread peace. I pray peace over all shoppers this season, that we would take care of one another amidst the chaos. Amen.