Walmart often gets a bad rap because of its unique customers. For instance, customers showing up in their PJs at all hours. (I may be guilty of this on occasion.) But this is not one of those stories.
A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of spraining my ankle. And being the stubborn and independent girl that I am, taking it easy has been rough. I've since gone to Walmart twice on crutches (and once in a wheelchair) in the last few days.
Today, as I was headed through the store, this sweet stranger came up behind me and asked if she could help me. Her voice was so sincere. I bet she would've walked all the way across the store for me, if I had asked her. Yet, I was done. So I thanked her and headed to the checkout counter, smiling. A perfect stranger had offered to give up her time to help me.
Only days before, on a drizzly evening, I was crutching across the parking lot on a mission to get supplies to make a dessert for a co-worker's birthday. I had stuffed my glasses in my hoody pocket to avoid the inevitable water droplet look. And I had thrown my keys in the zipper pocket of my purse rather than hanging them from my jeans' pocket as usual. As I'm sure you know, hopping on crutches and wet surfaces don't mix. My right crutch swung out from under me and I fell to the soaking crosswalk beneath me. Strangers started calling, "Miss, are you ok?" "Do you need help, ma'am?" I assured them I was ok and attempted to get up. But I was getting nowhere quickly. From under the overhang I hear, "hang on" as someone runs over, takes a crutch, and puts his shoulder under my arm. A second behind him, another man does the same with my other crutch. They both carry, support, guide me to a more dry surface. After double and triple checking that I was going to be ok, they left. As I strove to regain some composure, I slipped on my glasses. I never really saw my strangers' faces. But I saw God that day at Walmart :)