"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Gabrielle1 was thrift shopping for dorm items. As she checked out, she noticed the cashier ahead seemed rude, unhappy, and mad! As the sixth in line, it seemed the cashier was growing increasingly exasperated with each passing customer. Now she was next. The cashier was especially rude when one of Gabrielle’s items needed a price check. It sent this poor cashier toppling right over the edge, and Gabrielle bore the brunt of the fall.
But as the cashier rang up the items, Gabrielle felt a little nudge in her spirit. God was trying to get her attention. God wanted her to tip the cashier with the remaining funds she had in her wallet. She tried to bargain with God and told Him that the extra little bit of cash in the back of her wallet was already spoken for, and besides, it is customary to tip people who are nice and polite, which this cashier certainly was not. But God did not budge. Nor did the nagging conviction.
What Happens When God Nudges
As the receipt was being handed to her, Gabrielle reluctantly handed the remaining cash to the cashier. The cashier was amazed by the gesture and, pausing, asked, “Why?”
The young lady simply said, "God."
There was another momentary pause by the cashier. Then she said, “Today is my 75th birthday and ain’t nobody called me. Not my sister. None of my kids. None of these people here. Nobody. Nothing. I don’t think I can remember ever being so sad. Ain’t nobody even remember it’s my birthday.”
Gabrielle looked up and said, "God remembered.”
Then the other customers who overheard the conversation began to sing “Happy Birthday” to the cashier. As they did so, the cashier bit her bottom lip as tears threatened to spill over. There was a noticeable, deep hurt yet sweet humility across her face. As the people continued to sing, the cashier just stood there, patting her heart and taking it all in. The words penetrated deep. Anger dissipated. Hope manifested. The nudge became tangible.
We never know what someone else may be navigating or battling. Things are not always as they seem. We are living in an upside-down world right now. We may be tempted to return hate with hate. To retaliate. To alienate. To trade out judgment for grace. But there’s a better way.
This young lady thought she needed dorm stuff that day. Turns out she needed a reminder—a reminder that we are called to be God’s hands and feet to those who are hurting; a reminder that there are deeper needs than we often see on the surface; a reminder to listen for God’s “nudges”… maybe you need reminding too?
Call to Action
Let’s be slow to judge. And quick to obey. As the Bible reminds us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1 KJV).
Let us trust the Holy Spirit to lead the way, listen for His nudges, and act on them.
- Gabrielle is a pseudonym.
