thank you, Wal-Mart lady

After being gone for three years, one begins to wonder what it will feel like to return. I must say, my return has been much easier than expected. That is a different blog entirely.

When thinking over the past two months, and of all the words that have been spoken to me, there are two words that just bring such a smile and a warm feeling to my soul: Welcome Home! I would have never thought these words would mean more.

(Now, if we want to get really theological about it, this is not really my home and my home is neither here or there in Honduras, but we will keep it light tonight.)

A number of people have "welcomed me home" through their words, actions and by other ways that no one girl could have ever asked for.

Just tonight at wal-mart, I was making small talk with the cashier, and she brought so much joy to my night. It's amazing what God will do through each and every person that you encounter. I started out a conversation with her:

"So how did you get stuck with the Friday night shift?"

She responds: "Oh, I've worked the night shift for years. Those college kids like to have friday nights off. I work so they can go to their parties, b/c they really like going to their parties."

How selfless is that? She continued to share w/ me that it made no difference really to her. She said she will just get off work at 9pm and go home to watch Bonanza. She just brightened my night.

Then we got to talking about the bagging system there at Wal-Mart. See, I'm one of those people that brings her own bags. So, I had my own bags, but it was so difficult for her to load them b/c they did not fit nicely onto her lazy susan type plastic bag device. I felt bad.

We were talking about how there needs to be a better system since so many people are brining their own bags these days. She then began telling me this story about how she heard that Wal-mart was thinking about going "bagless" just like they did during the Olympics in China? who knew?

So, get ready, we could have a plastic bagless Wal-mart, which I think would be fabulous!

Oh, so then I was telling her how that in Honduras at one of the stores they stopped using the plastic bags (it was a Sam's club type store). So, she quickly learned that I lived there for a few years. That's where the conversation ended.

As I was leaving, I said "have a good night" and she returned the gesture adding "and Welcome back!"

ahhh, the wal-mart lady welcomed me back! what a great country in which we live. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things we don't do right, but there are a lot of things that we do right!

Thank you, Wal-Mart lady, for working on Friday nights so college kids can party and so that I could hear you welcome me back to the States.