I had managed to keep my composure in the grocery store, and even when I was putting away my cart back to get my quarter back. But as I drove home, the tears came.
I began the ugly cry. Partly because of all the pent-up frustration I had felt in the store, but mostly because of what this woman had done for me. That she just jumped in, all hands on deck, ready to do anything for me. I remembered her words,
“What can I do to help you?”
“I can do anything.”
There is an African Zulu greeting I have heard of, “Sawubona.”
It means, “I see you.”
I see you 2
She was just one woman, but she saw me. She saw me frantically juggling my groceries, and the binky bouncing out of my hand, the crying newborn, and the daughter trying to “beep” all the groceries, and nearly breaking them.
She could have closed her eyes.
But she opened them.
She could have walked on by. But she stopped.
She saw me.
She could have smiled, and said, “Been there!” (Which would have still been nice.)
But she went the extra mile. She got low, to show me kindness.
And there is a huge difference between being nice.
And being kind.
Niceness is safe, but real kindness is risky.
Kindness isn’t just a smile. But it’s words, and it’s heart, and it’s hands — when you need them.
And she was kind.
She didn’t just say it. She showed it.
She simply saw a very messy situation, and turned it into a beautiful one. With kindness.
I think she did exactly what Jesus would have done if He were standing in ALDI’s today. And the more I think about it, the more I realize He was there. In her.
She literally lived out, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
I think here in the midst of suburbia, we sometimes don’t know how to be kind. We are afraid to ask someone if we can help because we are afraid of offending someone. We are afraid of creating an awkward situation.
But I don’t think Jesus intended it to be as hard as we make it.
Maybe it’s as simple as saying:
Sawubona.
I see you.
Or, in other words:
“What can I do to help you?”
“I can do anything.”
***
This post originally appeared at BarrenToBeautiful.com, published with permission.
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