I’m veering off the “30 day challenge” beaten path.

Something happened last night that I just have to get out there.

I was craving an avocado last night (no I’m not pregnant, I just eat/crave weird things) and since I hadn’t been to the grocery store since we got back from FL thought I’d go. I usually go to our local grocer, little bit more expensive but I like to shop local when I can (oh well and I'm lazy and this is easy). Except last night I went to a different store. I don’t know why because 99.9% of the time I’ll shop at Jerry’s but last night I wanted to go to Lunds/Byerlys.

I walk in and am looking at bananas, red bananas to be specific. Sign says they are there and now I want one.  As I’m scouring the bananas a gentleman asks if he can help, he has a thick accent and is probably 55-60. Turns out his name is Ernesto and he grew up on a banana/pineapple plantation in Nicaragua but has been in MN for almost 40 years. We start chatting and all of a sudden he looks at me and says, you're like an angel. I gave a a nervous laugh and said thank you. And he goes no, you are at this grocery store because I asked God for an angel. He told me he had been home all day with his best friend, his wife, who was dying of cancer and hospice had just come to relieve him for a couple hours. He said he came to the grocery store because he didn't know what else to do and on the way there, he prayed and asked God for something to refresh him, a sign that he can, and needs to, keep going. 

He said he knew as soon as he saw my smile. He gave me his business card to verify he was telling the truth and said thanks, shook my hand and left. 

It wasn't until I got in the car that it hit me that something amazing just happened. I started crying, I was crying for Ernesto, for his wife Mary, and because I was so overwhelmed with gratefulness that God put me in that place to be there for that person. 

I don't usually shop there but for some reason, last night, I did. Of course I'm not an angel, but to Ernesto, I was. 

I am in awe of how God used me last night. It's just something I've been thinking about since it happened and the greatness of that moment is inexplicably amazing to me. I'm sure some people might think it's just a coincidence and that, due to my Buddy the Elf -ness, something like this was bound to happen but I really can't help but think this happened for a reason.