As I stood waiting in the long line to check out, I tried to ignore the couple grumbling behind me. They were frustrated by the slow pace of the store clerk, so I offered to let them move ahead of me. When it came their turn to check out, they made sure the clerk knew how angry they were about the wait. The young woman who was behind the register, was unhappy, and it showed. After the couple left, the clerk made sure I knew how angry she was. It was a circle of negativity.
I was glad to be out of there, but the mood was no better at the next stop. I encountered more unhappy people who were expressing anger and frustration about slow lines, too much traffic, never enough time to get everything done. The negativity seemed to repeat itself throughout the day, and by the time I got home, I wasn’t feeling any joy. “People are so mean and full of anger,” I muttered under my breath, and instantly I heard another message in my spirit. Lisa, be the joyful one. Be the positive person. People need that light, especially now. You don’t know what they are going through, so be the gift in the middle of all the hurt. But the message made me feel like it was too much for one person. How could I combat the anger and frustration I saw today? It seemed like the negativity was so palpable I could reach out and touch it. The message kept repeating throughout the evening, God trying to get my attention. When you see anger, be joy. When you see frustration, be peace. Be the gift. Even if you don’t feel like it, do it anyway. It might be your gift, too!
The next day was another busy one, and with another long list of tasks in hand, I headed out of the house. This time, I wanted to face what might be ahead of me with a different perspective, so I filled a box with stuffed Mabel Joy dogs, encouragement cards, candy treats, and a few party hats. I had positive supplies in hand and a plan to retrace my steps from the previous day. On my first stop, I stood in another long line, waiting to check out with the same unhappy clerk from the previous day. Along with my payment, I handed her a stuffed Mabel 
Joy dog and told her I was praying for her. “I don’t know what you’re going through, but God does.” I wanted to remind her she was not alone, and as soon as the words were out of my mouth, tears rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed the stuffed Mabel dog. “Thank you, thank you. You don’t know what this means to me. I am at the end of my rope, and I asked God to send me some hope today. I wondered if He was still listening, or even there at all. He is, isn’t He?” “Oh yes! He is listening,” I said. As we stood facing each other with the line behind us, she was unable to share her entire story with me, but she didn’t need to. It was clear her pain ran deep, but I also knew that God’s love ran deeper. I prayed for the young woman as I left.
That day, as I handed over a stuffed dog or an encouraging card, I witnessed an instant change in the attitude of each person. Some people shared their story with me, and my heart became softer with each one – a family grieving over the recent death of a child, a single mom enduring a job loss, an older woman angry because of a recent cancer diagnosis. There was a story behind every sad and hurt face. At the end of that day, my box filled with items was empty, but my heart was overflowing. I had given gifts, but also received them. These were gifts with an eternal impact.
Once again, I realized the necessity of flipping the lens and looking at circumstances through God’s view of the world, rather than my clouded perspective. He clears up those clouds quickly on days when I tune in to His heart. The storyline changes from hopeless to hopeful.
“Be the gift,” says my favorite author, Ann Voskamp. It’s a theme she repeats because these are the gifts that are so needed in our world. When you are the gift to those facing a broken situation, the broken place in you gets stitched together a little more. I now pack my car with items that might bring a smile, and when the tangible items run out, an encouraging word works wonders. These are the gifts that can make a big impact. Here’s a challenge for 2022: instead of waiting for good things to happen to us, what if we can be the good thing that happens to someone else? Be the gift for someone today who needs to know that God is near and listening. You might discover that the gift you give is also an answer to your own prayers.