compassion

My mom and I stood in line behind Donna today at the Salvation Army. Donna was agitated. She stood in front of us in her mismatched outfit and dyed red hair and expressed her frustration over some other lady who had cut in line and didn't adhere to where the line was actual supposed to form. She uttered a couple of cuss words and Mom and I just nodded our heads and listened to her frustrations until she finally got out of line and went to the back of the store.

A bit later she came back to stand behind us, explaining that she had complained to the manager and he was coming up to handle it. Mom and I insisted that she take her place in front of us and she graciously accepted and then chatted with us a while longer about the two items she was purchasing but probably shouldn't be purchasing because (cuss words sprinkled throughout) she couldn't afford them, but they would make her and her husband happy because life was rough and they had lost their home and jobs and....

At this point we began to express our sympathy to her and told her that we would pray for her. We asked what her name was and as she teared up, we again repeated that we would pray. She thanked us and it was finally her turn to pay.

My mom made the comment that often times, people who are hurting themselves can be critical of those around them. This gal was so uptight about such a simple thing and yet a two minute conversation with her had brought her to tears.

As she finished paying, she turned around and walked back towards us with her arms open to give us a hug. She still had tears in her eyes as we both hugged her and reassured her that we would pray for her. She thanked us and then headed outside. 

We didn't do anything great. We just listened and sympathized. Sometimes I guess that's all people are looking for is someone with ears to hear and a heart to care. 

KC