Our trip to Costco today was delightful. Seemed like every Durham citizen was there. My children weaved in and out and in front of grocery carts, making folks stop for them and yea, it's easier to go without them but really not as exciting. Like sit on the edge of you seat pull them out of traffic fun times.
If you weren't familiar with Costco policies, there is a $100 cover charge. Just so you know. Fill up your purse or fanny pack before you go with Benjamins because you'll need them. You will for sure find things you never knew you needed. Things you never knew you wished you had. Like a bear skin rug for the foot of your bed. Tried my best to convince my hubs we needed it for our homeschool room. Can you imagine the homeschool goodness we'd have with that thing? Sure it's a bachelor purchase. All three (four when daddy's home) of us would sprawl across that thing and do some math. Woo! I would invite you over for some sweet tea on that thing. Yep I would.
So my husband found some shoes he liked. As he was trying them on, I was eating kale chip samples and offering up my two cents in between bites and pulling kids out of oncoming traffic. He loves shopping in stores with cement floors. It does something to him. He's happier. It sparks some creative force in him that I love. It is the only place I can get him to shop with me. And when we go, it's a good time to make him get stuff for himself. The man got two(!) pairs of work shoes for himself today! That's amazing! Because he has a stool where he works but he's sat in it maybe one time in five years. And I know his shoes are well passed worn out. He works 12 hour shifts. He's a strong hard working man who needs good shoes.
And I love Costco people. The older people always doting on my girlies. "Aren't they cute?" "You must love pink honey!" And I usually see someone I grew up with, would like to avoid, or get at least one hug from someone. And I'll talk to anyone. You go to Costco at lunch time and you come hungry. There are good gracious samples to be had. Feed the kids, shop, it's wonderful. We won't need toilet paper or apple juice for a couple of months. (Unless we drink all the apple juice too quickly and the toilet paper runs out because nature called too frequently.) Love it.
So the bread lady caught my eye today. She was an older lady delighted by her bread samples. I walk up and she says in an accent I still can't identify (too much time away from my precious ESL kiddos I tell you...), "I love my bread. I keep my pantry stocked full of it. When I was little during the war, we didn't have any bread. So the only bread I got was when I visited my grandmothers house. Every time she had some bread for me. All these years later I realize she saved the end pieces for me. She sacrificed because I loved it."
Then she went on to tell me that she had carried on her grandmothers legacy of care and taken care of her husbands parents, proudly saying they lived a long life, and then her husband who had passed, too. She was at a loss when she got home from work and there was no one to take care of, no one to bathe, she said. She was delighted to be serving. Serving bread samples for minimum wage at Costco. For busy hungry people. Five minutes later we left but I was reminded of how thankful I need to be for God's provision and I loved her. She knew sacrifice because she had lived it.
Everyone has a story. My husband is always amazed how I get into people's stories so quickly sometimes. He says, "Carla, you don't care who they are. You just prefer people that are real." I said thank you. Because that's all I can be. And this blog is the real deal. My friend said today that she read my blog for a couple of hours and she felt like she had hung out with me. I am real. This is real. And sometimes I amaze myself what I am being vulnerable to discuss. But courageously living and sharing my heart. Scary and real.
People fascinate me. I ask lots of questions. But also, people are lonely. I don't care who you are, when the walls come down, people need validating. Sometimes people just need a listening ear. And if you truly care, stories start a comin'. Give me your real, honest, vulnerable self, now that's a great starting point. I love you already.
I went to a Bulls game the other night, and bumped into a friend from Bible Study. Her husband is a children's minister at our church so they are professionals I guess you could say:). She asked about how I was doing, and my hot mess just started a flowing. Her response? I understand. Me too. We stood there knowing that we can't fix all that needs to be fixed in this world and admitted to each other we don't have it together. We shared, we connected, we agreed. Agreed in the One who promises to make all things right. In his timing.
Even when things start to feel shaky, we are in His strong arms. He doesn't promise all things that happen to us will be good. But he promises to work all things together for good in the saving mercy of Jesus. This side of heaven, I'll take it. Because without him, I'm in the dark. My light shines on.
And I'm going to buy that rug tomorrow and visit the bread lady.
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