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My sister Judy and I were at a membership-only warehouse club when the doors opened.

We moved quickly through the aisles, checking items off the list. The cart was nearly full by the time we got to the checkout. Judy hurriedly unloaded the groceries onto the counter. She was almost finished when the clerk said, “This register is closing, would you please move over there to that one?”

I wondered why she didn’t say that before we had the cart almost empty. Most of us would have lost patience, but this day was particularly trying for Judy. Kevin, her young husband, was at the end-of-life stage, and his sister was staying with him. Judy had bottled up her fears and emotions to make the trip to the store, knowing it had to be done. But it would take little to break open the bottle.

Her face flooded with emotion as she tried to suppress the outburst lying close to the surface. She grabbed items, threw them back into the cart, proceeded to the next counter, and roughly unloaded them. Her anger was palpable. I wanted to explain her reaction to the clerk, who was anxious to get us checked out. She can’t know what Judy is going through, I thought.

That was a telling day for me. I want to view everyone I meet as someone who needs understanding, no matter their reaction to things. I can’t know what they’re going through, but many wounded and fearful souls surround us.

I want to be a stepping stone, not a stumbling block. I plan to remember that whomever I come in contact with, I am a living, breathing expression of Christ. I am made in His image, and I will live as such.

Look for opportunities today to reflect the love of Jesus to a hurting soul.  

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)