Small blessings, Mighty impact

I was on my way to the grocery store. I had less than $25 for groceries, so I had meticulously planned out my shopping trip.  I also had a $5 off of $25 coupon, so I knew that I had enough for my trip, plus some wiggle room.  

 As I was driving, I saw a woman panhandling on the side of the road.  Her sign said something about having kids and needing money or food or whatever.  Next to her were her 3 children - oldest probably a young teen and the youngest still an infant.  And to be honest, I was a bit irked.  It's a hot day out and I felt like by having her three young kids sitting next to her in the hot sun, she was using them for money instead of telling them to go sit 100 feet away in the shade (especially with the baby). As a mom, I felt like she was putting her kids' safety in jeopardy, all for just a couple of bucks. That really irritated me.  But I have a strong conviction to give to the homeless when I can, no matter how I feel about a person or a situation.  So I grabbed the several dollar bills I had in my wallet and gave them to her anyways.  Asking God to bless her and her kids.....even though I didn't agree with the whole situation. :) 

But since those few dollars were now gone, I had even less for my little shopping trip.  I knew I still had enough, but I would have to be really on point.  I got to the store, I shopped, I calculated as I went and at the end I found that I was going to be $2 over.  I considered putting an item back but I did have a little bit of extra money in another cash envelope that I could dip into if  I needed (although I really didn't want to).

And then it happened.  God gave me a small, tiny little blessing at that check out counter.  A small little "I love you" as I was paying for groceries.  After all items were scanned and the coupon was applied -- I owed $20.87.  I had exact cash without dipping into my other fund.  I know this is a tiny thing.  Something that could easily be skipped over or chalked up to a miscalculation. But to me, in that moment, it was like  God showed me how much He loves me.  That He sees me, in my everyday life and really cares for me.  He cares about the little things like not dipping into another cash envelope for 2 measly bucks. He cares for that woman, asking for money on a hot day with her three kids sitting next to her. Perhaps she felt the same way as people gave her a dollar or two -- blessed, loved and cared for.   And I started to get a bit emotional right there at the check out counter. I pray that I never forget that the little blessings can be such a mighty way of saying "I love you".