My Pleasant Surprise at Trader Joe’s

Have you ever been blessed by a small act of kindness from a stranger?

I recently went to the grocery store on my lunch break, which—let me tell you—is the busiest time to run errands in Irvine!

The lines at Trader Joe’s were long, and my cart was nowhere near empty.

I was pleasantly surprised when the cashier asked me if I’d be returning back to work or going home … and then proceeded to ask if I’d like her to separate my groceries based on what I can leave in the car and what needs to be refrigerated.

I was taken aback as I left the store, so appreciative that she went out of her way during the busiest time of day to make my day just a tiny bit easier.

On a recent broadcast of “The Mercy Minute”, Don Stephens tells the story of a man named John, who experienced a similar type of kindness.

John took a collection of library books with him on vacation. He enjoyed reading through each book on his week-long Caribbean cruise, but on his trip home, he accidentally left one of the books on his plane! He thought he’d never see the book again and would have to pay the fine at the library.

But to his amazement, when he logged into his online library account, he saw that someone from Southwest Airlines had sent the book back to the library for him!

John said: “I couldn’t believe someone would’ve gone the extra mile to return the book instead of just throwing it into the lost and found bin!”

So whether it’s organizing the way someone’s groceries are bagged or returning their library book, the smallest acts of mercy can go a long way.

And thanks to you, this message of mercy is shared with your listeners each and every day.

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” —Luke 6:31