Guidance

"Look what I found for you!" I said as I took my intended purchase from the cart and showed my husband.

"Well, I'll say!" he responded in pleased surprise. Only yesterday, Howard had remarked in the kitchen that he would like to have an old-fashioned juicer, the glass kind with the molded pouring lip, so he could squeeze oranges or grapefruit in the mornings.  I told him I hadn't seen one in years, then here it was in the kitchen gadget aisle in this upscale outlet store.  On sale, too!

I also picked up a novelty shopping bag that said, "Plastic or Paper?  NEITHER," then in small print something like "I'm using my recycled shopping bag, thank you."  I thought it might make a bright accent in my kitchen. 

"Do you want to use this bag today?" the clerk at the check-out asked, pausing and pointing to the sturdy, new bag.  I told her no, and she put it in with our other purchases.  Taking the things from the cart to put in the car, I had my hands full and felt a slippery plastic sack slip from my fingers to the pavement with an ominous thud. 

"Oh, I hope nothing broke!" I moaned.  Not only broken, the juicer was in a jillion pieces, practically pulverized despite the sales girl's heavy wrapping!  My husband was as sorry as I was!  Such a little thing, to be so disappointing.  He took it back to try to exchange it, but of course it was the only one.  (They did refund the $3.99, though.)

Earlier, after we'd had a bite of lunch at our favorite place, I returned from the ladies' room to find Howard staring at some cash on the table.  "I went up to buy this brownie," he said, indicating the half he'd saved for me, "and saw this folded money on the counter.  I thought maybe it had fallen from my wallet as I went to pay, and picked it up, but now I think I have more money than I should."

We deliberated a few minutes, re-checking his wallet, then he returned to the cashier.  I saw the clerk shaking her head, then Howard was pointing to a jar on the counter and putting the money in it.  He said he had donated it to the poor, since no one had called for it.

A few days before, we'd gone to a place with lunch specials, and I noticed a man in an adjoining booth who was lingering an inordinately long time over a cup of coffee.  "I think that man is hungry," I wrote on a napkin to my husband.  He nodded, but didn't do anything.  After a few minutes, a waitress came and offered the man a full tray of food, which he accepted gratefully.  When we finished, I emptied our tray and Howard said, "Go on to the car.  I'll be right out."

"I thought maybe you would give that guy a hand-out," I said reproachfully, as he got back in the car.  He said he had gone to the counter and told the clerk that if anyone else came in in that situation, to feed them with the $5.00 he was giving her.  "But what if they spend it themselves!" I fretted.  He turned around, went back in and gave money directly to the  man!

I guess I should stop trying to be the Holy Spirit with my husband's conscience, and start listening for myself.  After all, He was probably telling me to use the shopping bag!