Good Begets Good

My wife vanished…again.

She does it all the time—but only when we’re shopping. One minute we’ll be putting a can of soup in the cart, and then—poof—she’s gone. Not just kind-of-gone, either. Not just around the corner, or in the next aisle, but, nowhere-to-be-found-gone.

I’ll walk every square inch of the store and she is no where to be found. I’ve probably wore holes in three pair of shoes walking around various stores through the years…just searching for her.

She did it again yesterday.

Eventually I found her…I always do. She suddenly reappears in some random aisle; the cart will have more stuff piled in it and she’ll be examining some list or label. Yesterday was no different, except for one thing. She had the bottom of the buggy lined with boxes. Some of the boxes were full, some were empty.

I was pushing a cart of my own. Hers was almost full—all I had in mine was a case of water and five cans of tuna. I eased up and pushed my cart against hers. “Need some more room...What’re the boxes for?”

“Soon. For Wendy.”

Wendy is a woman at our church. An appropriate name for her would be Wonder Woman Wendy. She’s a one-woman mission. One day last week I found her and my wife sitting in our living room. She was talking and my wife was taking notes.

Wendy told of how they pick up food from grocery stores to distribute to the food bank and churches. She knew what the various local mission organizations were in need of and explained how she helped to provide those needs. She has a steady stream of care packages and Christmas gifts flowing to our military. She can be seen in graveyards placing flowers at the markers of soldiers she doesn’t even know…but makes sure they’re never forgotten.

She was thrilled when my wife asked her if she needed anything that had been left over from the bizarre held in our park last weekend. The bizarre is a huge yard sale with live music, food, vendors, homemade jams, local honey, crafts, Salvation Army’s Red Bucket—square dancers, cloggers, raffles…you name it.

It’s awesome and fun…and bizarre. Whatever items don’t sell are donated to local charities, along with a portion of the profit.

Roxy wanted to know what Wendy does, and how she could help. So, she was taking notes. Wendy was sharing what she did and what was needed. The list was long. One of the things needed, on a never- ending basis…was food. Thus, the boxes in the bottom of her buggy.

 She worked to fill both boxes and buggies.

As we worked our way through the checkout lane, we kept the items for Wonder Woman Wendy separate and returned to the boxes, so it’d be easier to transfer to cars and shelves.

In chatting with the checkout girl, the lady behind us heard what my wife was doing and suddenly she was holding some cash, insisting my wife take it. “I want to help, too.”

Roxy tried to turn her down, but the lady prevailed with a smile.

I watched all this take place and looked at the faces of the women, they all wore a smile. It was just like the one I was wearing too—like the one I’m wearing now. The atmosphere had changed. It was like the best part of Christmas when everyone is smiling and saying, “Merry Christmas.”

At that moment, no one cared which way you voted, if you went to church or didn’t, at that moment we were just people, smiling people being overcome with a presence of peace on earth goodwill toward men.

I said out loud, but quiet, mostly to myself, “Good begets good.”

The money-giving lady, looked at me and nodded. Her smile grew. “I believe that’s true—I really do.”

We must’ve looked funny as we pushed out buggies to the car. We didn’t say a word, but we both were wearing matching smiles.

Our smiles never tipped when we had to stop in our tracks because a pick up was angled across the lane trying to back into a parking stall. Only problem was, another car was angled pointing toward the same stall—they both inched closer and closer. Well, that wasn’t actually the only problem, because, the two that wanted the same stall were a bit too anxious and hadn’t given enough room for the car that was trying to exit the parking stall the ability to leave. So, there they sat. One car wanting to leave inching forward, just trying to get out and go home. Two others trying to get in, inching forward, neither willing to give-in, back-off.

There were plenty of other parking spots in that great big lot. I don’t know what made that one so special. It certainly wasn’t making them happy. They weren’t wearing a smile. They may have even been saying some things that should never be repeated. I don’t know…maybe they’re still be sitting there.   

We shook our heads and found a way around the three-car stand-off. Still smiling.

I pray what we found in the check-lane is contagious.

I pray the smile we wore finds its way from this page to you. I pray we’ll see we all have something to give, a light to shine, a buggy to fill. I pray we’ll be delivered from tunnel vision thinking there’s only one stall and if we don’t steal it, someone else will. I pray our eyes will be opened to the great big parking lot with more than enough room.

“Let you light so shine before men that they may see your good works

 and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Jesus Christ Matt. 5:16)