SPREADING JOY

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.

                                                      2 Corinthians: 6-7 MSG

I am a huge fan of Farmer’s Markets. I will travel 30-40

minutes to stroll through one , hoping I can take the warm sweetness of handmade cinnamon buns home with me. Large, warm, soft pretzels create a dilemma for me too. Pulling them from the oven introduces a different salty softness that offers another choice. But then I notice the gorgeous produce and my choice is obvious to me. Fresh soft peaches win!  Last week I did pick up a small basket of those peaches and stood at the end of a line, waiting for others to purchase theirs too. I slowly moved up to the register and asked the cashier the price of the peaches. She looked at me with a sweet smile and told me they were paid for. The unknown woman in front of me had reached out her hand to me in friendship and I suddenly knew what I was going to do. Everyone in that line paid for someone else’s purchase! We all were living in the moment, giving someone we didn’t know a gift to brighten their day. Living in the moment means loving in the moment. When we realize how much God loves us and how many good things He’s doing for us now and will do for us in the future, we love Him in return. And when that happens, we might just leave that market with a new sense of joy and pay it forward!

This day Lord, Open my eyes to those around me, and help me reach out to them the way Jesus would do. Amen

Barbara Schneider