Recently while making my semi-weekly purchases at my local area Wal-Mart store, in the chaos and confusion of checking out, I missed (and the cashier missed) a box of burgers on the bottom of my cart.
In traveling to my car with my two overly rambunctious and hyper children, I noticed the burgers on the bottom of the cart as I loaded my packages wearily into the family van.
Ugh, I looked at my receipt. He didn't get the box of 32 frozen 100% beef burgers that were ten dollars.
My great summer standby for a quick meal. I was tired and I didn't want to have to go back into the store. I could have driven off unnoticed with a windfall of free tasty burgers that mistakenly were missed by myself, the cashier, and the Wal-Mart elderly person taking a break sitting at the exit, telling me to have a nice evening.
Darn it, I couldn't do it. So yelling to my ten-year-old and my eight-year-old who were now rough housing in the back seats to stay put, I walked back into Wal-Mart to the cashier who had serviced my order and said, "I don't think you got these when I checked out." The cool dude mannerism of the clerk laughed at me and said, "Man you came all the way back here for this, I would have just taken off."
I explained that I really didn't want to rot in hell over a few 100% tasty beef burgers and would he kindly ring me up so I could get back to my children in the car. The elderly Wal-Mart senior was still at the front door and thanked me for coming back in. She looked as tired as I was.
As I drove home, I realized that it's not likely that the mega giant retailer Wal-Mart would have even noticed the lost inventory of those 32 100% beef burgers. However, on that day the transaction reflected on at least a few people a positive light that could make a difference in perhaps the way they think out future transactions for themselves or for others.
The young cashier behind the counter who said he would have never come back into the store and would have just kept on going, the senior who looked at me with a restored confidence that maybe America wasn't going to hell this week, and the five men in line waiting patiently as the cashier quickly rang up my box of burgers, all of them probably muttering something about women drivers not even getting it right at Wal-Mart with their carts.
That day, God asked me where the beef was.
A small challenge that seemed a little bigger at the end of a hectic, tiring day. I showed Him and returned His trial, knowing it wasn't just about an act of honesty.
It was about a commitment to restore faith in the human element, knowing that if we all raise the bar just a little higher for ourselves and others with actions that are of good deeds, we'll all live in a much better place.
That old commercial adage where the little old lady is saying, "Where's the beef?" I paused and thought, well, for most of us, it's right here, still in our hearts and souls, and it's what makes this country a really great place to live. Despite all of the reminded evil in this world, we still have opportunities to make life really good again and again.
Those thirty-two, 100% beef burgers will taste a little better this summer.
T.L. Vicedomine,
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Stuff often does not go like we figure...So what's your plan B?
be prepared,be worried,be careful..and watch your 6..
