Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Find An Opportunity to Make Their Day

Aubrey and I had to make a visit to the doctor today followed by a trip to the pharmacy for what appears to be a sinus infection trying to take root. We dropped her prescription off at the pharmacy and then I took her across the parking lot for some ice cream while we waited for the prescription to be filled.

When we walked back to the pharmacy to pick up the prescription there was a mother sitting in one of the two chairs with her six to seven year old son in her lap and in the only other chair was the lady's other son who looked to be nine or 10, neither of whom appeared to be sick and all three were decked out in their beach gear.

When I approached the counter, the technician said my prescription wasn't ready, but it would only take a minute for him to mix it, which he quickly set about doing. I was standing at the counter holding Aubrey (who was laying her head on my shoulder and it was very evident she wasn't feeling super) and thinking it sure would be nice if the lady would at least offer for her son to move so I could sit down, but no such luck.

About a minute later, I heard someone gasping for breath to my right. I turned to see an elderly gentleman with an oxygen tank struggling to breath.  It was obvious the trip into the store was just about all he could manage. I moved away from the counter to allow him to hold onto it. I looked to the lady and her children to my left certain she was going to have her son move to offer him a seat when about that time I heard an elderly woman ask the lady if she could please sit down. I watched the younger women look the elderly woman up and down and upon realizing she had a cast on one foot, she said "oh absolutely and shooed her son out of the chair."  The next words out of the younger woman's mouth was, "good grief, he sounds like he is about to fall right out" referring to the elderly gentleman struggling for breath, but never offering her seat to him!

I was about to have a Julia Sugarbaker moment, but thankfully the pharmacy technician (who looked equally appalled) quickly got the gentleman his prescriptions and on his way. 

That exchange just brought to mind how simple acts can have such an impact on another's life and usually require very little of us. The young woman could have easily stood up and offered her chair to the gentleman to allow him to catch his breath and compose himself. It would have been such a blessing for him in that moment, but she chose to let her comfort keep her right where she was.

How many times have you had an opportunity to help someone, but out of laziness or comfort chose not to make a move? I think we've all had some of those moments, but thankfully caring and observant people willing to respond also exist.

I remember a few months ago I was in the grocery store with Aubrey. I'd had a full day of work and was tired and had a cart full of groceries. Aubrey and I finally made it to the register and I started loading the groceries on the belt when Aubrey had a meltdown. She HAD to be held. I knew she was tired too so I was trying to hold her and place the groceries on the belt. The lady behind me said, "please let me do that for you, you just concentrate on that baby." I normally am so incredibly independent, but that day I was so very thankful for the help and gladly let her load the groceries for me. It was a simple act that didn't require a lot of effort on her part, but made such an impression on me that I'm writing about it months later.

There are opportunities all around us to make someone else's day, week, month, maybe even year, by simple, selfless acts that often require little effort on our part. Make it a point to go through life taking note and acting on those opportunities to bless another person rather than simply sitting and observing with out taking action . . . chances are you'll be impacted in ways you never imagined.