Jesus Loves Me in the checkout line

Standing in the checkout line I was beyond frustrated.  My kids had been mostly good throughout the store but there were quite a few sibling fires that I had put out.  I was tired from the lack of sleep that usually accompanies a major holiday and tired from playing referee to the girls...and tired of dealing with the monster that rears it's head in my daughter every time we walk into a store.

Want.

"I want this.  I want this.  I really want this.  I want that, but I also want this.  Can we buy this?  How much does it cost?  Well, you have $xx.xx.  You are mean."

Yesterday they asked if we could look at fish, so we did because I needed to take a phone call and it seemed like an innocent distraction. Except that with a Wanter already going full speed ahead it became an all out fight because Miss E wanted a fish.  And she wanted it now.

Pets have been a recent request at our house.  We currently have none.  And while cute and cuddly, most of them take a lot of work.  But Miss E reasoned...a fish just needs food.  Right?

I try to find teachable moments so I told her the prices of various fish and then showed her the supplies that she would need to go along with the fish - hoping desperately that understanding of how much things cost would help her Wanter to lay off a bit.  It didn't.

Instead it brought about a full on pout.  And that is how we arrived that the checkout.

So there I am, praying that the people in front of me will move quickly and that nothing comes out of my mouth that will land me in an evidence video on someone's phone or in the DHS office explaining that while I threatened a four year old with abandonment I absolutely never would do such a thing.

It was bad.

Two ladies entered the line behind us and clearly overhearing yet another attempt to explain to Miss E why we don't get everything we want in life, one of them said to Miss E "Your mom needs a hug.  You should hug her."  She then demonstrated by giving her own mom a hug and saying "You are never too old to give your mom a hug."

We inched forward in line as I was busy telling one child or another why we weren't going to buy every single item that marketing geniuses and mother haters have conveniently crammed into the checkout area.  It's enough to make a mother lose her mind.

And then I see the lady in front of us turn to Miss E, slip something into her hand and tell her "That is for you to share with your sister.  You can both get something."  I shuffled myself around to see what exactly had just happened and realize that the woman had just given my daughter a large denomination bill.  I was stunned.

Both girls thanked the woman, though I think they didn't really understand what had happened.  With tears in my eyes I offered my thanks as well.  And the woman responded with "God told me to do it.  He has His reason."  She then turned to the girls and said "Do you know Jesus?  Do you know the song Jesus Loves Me?" as she began to sing the first few lines.  I realize that both of the ladies behind us have started to sing as well and literally the only thought in my head is that only the Lord could orchestrate a checkout line full of people singing 'Jesus Loves Me'!

I am overwhelmed at the outpouring of love I felt standing in the checkout line.  Jesus does love me.  And today I find myself so thankful for the ladies that took a minute to act on the Lord's prompting to encourage our family.