WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM: A Small Sample of Kindness

I was just standing in the Gastonia, NC Hobby Lobby minding my own business. Being one of only two or three males in the store at the time amongst what seemed like hundreds of females, I was bored nearly to the point of tears as I stood near a shelf which contained a few books I pretended to be interested in. Like many husbands in similar situations, I was waiting it out while my lovely wife basked in the bliss of a store full of Knick Knacks and Paddy Whacks the sorts of which appeal to the female gender. Also in the store was a gentleman wearing all camo, which impressed me. I remember thinking when I first saw him in the store- "That's a bold move, I like it." For whatever reason, about twenty minutes later, Mr. Camo walked up to where I was standing and looked me right in the eye. Slightly taken aback, I smiled. The first words he said to me, and I promise this is 100% true- were as follows and I quote: "My doctor said I needed to bring in a stool sample today. Do you want to see it?" Taken aback for the second time, I replied- "I'm not so sure I do, but it sounds like you want to show it to me." Immediately, without so much as a grin, he said- "Hold on, let me fish it out of my pocket here". At that point I had no choice. I was going to lay witness to a stool sample in the middle of the Gastonia, NC Hobby Lobby whether I liked it or not. After some fumbling around in his pocket, he pulled out a small plastic cylinder about the size of one of those containers people used to roll up film in before they took it to get developed. (Yes, I'm old). A flood of relief swept over me as I assumed at least this was a very small sample and not a full fledged visit to the Men's Room sample. He opened the cap, reached in, and pulled out a miniature wood carving. It had a round seat and four legs- it was a stool. About the right size for a baby mouse. I laughed. He finally smiled. I laughed some more. Then I requested he let me take a picture of him with the stool. He obliged. (You have to look real hard to see the little stool in the picture- it's sitting on the shelf just to the left of two brown books). After the picture I complimented him on his camo outfit. He told me he was a Vietnam veteran. I had just finished reading an interesting book written by a soldier who served in Vietnam so I asked him a few questions. It was immediately obvious he had truly been in Nam because he had tremendous knowledge and insight as he answered every one of my inquirie with explicit and interesting details. At the appropriate moment, I thanked him for his service just as a lady who I could tell was his wife walked up beside him. "She's a veteran, too" he said proudly. So I promptly thanked her for her service as well. We exchanged our goodbyes and a few minutes later when I located my wife and told her the story, she said- "People just kinda gravitate toward you for some reason, don't they? Wonder why?" I had to admit I had no idea why but as I thought more about it, I decided to consider it an honor that Mr. Camo decided to randomly choose me to share his stool sample with. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:1-2 that we should "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for some have entertained angels without realizing it". I'm not saying Mr. Camo was an angel. I just know that he entertained me for a few minutes and I was kind and pleasant to him. Odds are we will never see each other again. But for a moment or two, God placed him in my life to bring a smile to my face and I reciprocated. I wonder how many opportunities you and I pass up every day where we could have made someone we don't know smile. So my challenge to everyone who reads this is simple: Walk up to someone you don't know during this holiday season and say something kind to them. And by doing so, you just might be entertaining an angel. Stool sample optional.