Cashier Angel

Cashier Angel

Cashiers are my heroes. They really are amazing people. I know this because I tried to be one last week.
I was at Safeway on a Hubby Home Mission. You know; Joni called and said, “Honey, on your way home could you pick up…? In my case, it was two packages of cream cheese.

I got to Safeway, accomplished the mission and headed to the check stands. I saw some of those “do-it-yourself” check- out stands, and thought they looked kind of fun. It must be a guy thing. I’m drawn to computer screens. This thing was like a consumer video game without a joy stick.

In the distance I noticed Mandi (that’s what her name tag said.) Actually I know Mandi. She is Mac Sumner’s daughter. Her job that day was to oversee the self serve check out machines. We smiled at each other, and then I faced my mechanical opponent. The reason I say this that is I have a long and unhappy history with any mechanical devise. I fully believe the self check out machines had just held a meeting before I arrived. The meeting went like this

“Hey, here comes that preacher again”
“I hope he comes to me, I can’t wait to mess with his mind.”

Mechanical devises are always out to get me. This auto checkout was no exception. I innocently pushed the start button. It asks me if I want my instructions in English or Spanish. (English is a good choice) It then asks me to scan the cream cheese. I take the first one and hunt the box over for the UPS symbol, (which is not easy to find.) I locate it and scan the cream cheese. Then the machine attacks.

It tells me to bag my items. I still have a 2nd package of cream cheese to scan! It would be unpreacher like pay for one cream cheese and leave the store with another one. I’m trying to tell the machine that, but we were having a failure to communicate.

So I do what I always do when faced with a mechanical challenge; I get a dazed stupid look on my face that screams to the world, “The Dummy is trouble. HELP!!” I glanced over to see if Mandi could help. I couldn’t find her.

I didn’t think to look at my elbow.

She was right beside me, still smiling. She pushed a couple of buttons and the video villain fell into instant submission. Mand scanned my second cream cheese, put both of them in a bag, and showed me how to pay. Feeling overwhelmed with gratitude I felt I should say something, so I said
“I guess you get a lot of blank stares from people” She chuckled and said
“Part of the job.” She smiled and vanished, off to deal with another blank stare.

As I pondered the presence of Mandi, I also pondered the presence of God. God in one sense is in heaven watching over us. He notices everything. Sparrows falling out of trees, and the number of follicles on our foreheads do not escape his notice. (Matthew 10:29-31) And before we can even whisper a panicked prayer, God is by our side, helping, comforting, and pushing the right buttons to help us through a difficult time.

I’m grateful Mandi was there to help me. I’m even more grateful that God is with me before I need Him, and helps me through any situation.

Even with cream cheese.