is a perfect time if you don’t like crowds. You can walk through the aisles uninterrupted with all the aisle space you want.I know this to be true because I did this very thing myself last week. You see, I haven’t been sleeping all that well and have awakened at 2:30 for a couple of mornings now. Sleep has become a precious commodity (a useful or valuable thing, such as water or time. courtesy of dictionary.com) and since I had all this extra time so early in the morning, I decided it was the perfect time to go to the store to purchase supplies for my science class.

After picking up my supplies I proceeded to the self-checkout and noticed there was a  gentleman who was stationed at the register to oversee purchases in the U-Scan area. I picked up my bags of rulers, candy, and playdoh and proceeded to walk toward the exit. As I was leaving, the U-Scan man said, “Have a nice day, Baby.”

I nearly stopped in my tracks as I tried to decide if I heard him correctly. “What did he just say??” I thought to myself. I don’t know if I have ever been called “Baby”, and certainly not in the past 25 years! 🙂

I could have reacted in several different ways with what had just transpired. 1)Ask him what he just said. 2)Glare at him and go report his comment to the service desk. 3) Choose to think that’s just his way of addressing all women and go back home. 4)Relate my experience to my 8th grade class and you. 5)Laugh about it, realize I will probably never be addressed like that again and show grace to others.

As you have read the choices I bet you guessed that I chose to do all of them. No, I didn’t do all of them, just choices 3-5. So, have you had a similar experience? Did that gentleman wait on you? 🙂 Seriously, what situation have you had an opportunity to extend grace to another person?  I know you have had an opportunity to be annoyed or offended, seems as though they come frequently, don’t they? How about with teaching in your home? We can be kind, gentle and forgiving to our children as they get a ‘tude (attitude) or we can be unkind, harsh, and hold a grudge towards those ungrateful kids we are home schooling. Who has a ‘tude now?

This is just something I have been thinking about. I plan on giving more grace than required as often as I can. It rubs off the rough spots of my heart and helps me to examine my motives. Am I serving out of a heart of love or duty?

Remember to “Have a nice day, Baby.” 😉