Walgreen Caribean blues

Blue eyes like the blue in the Caribbean Sea. She checks you out a Walgreens. Maybe you didn't notice her eyes because, like me, you are in a hurry. You grab the pack of gum, magazine, and bottle of lotion and head back to the car. But next time, when she checks you out, look at her for a second and tell her to have a good day. Maybe you could even strike up a short conversation if there isn't a long line. Say something about the weather in these parts and you will find out, she didn't grow up here. Maybe you could even sneak in a invitation to church. If nothing else, just a moment of warmth that conveys that you see her humanity and her worth. As you go out the door, say a prayer for her.

She might be my cousin. My beautiful cousin with Caribbean blue eyes. I saw her a few weeks ago, and asked what work she was doing. Her blue eyes turned bleary, her voice quivered and she replied with something like 'I'm just a cashier at Walgreen's. I'm just a dummy with a worthless job.' All the whys and hows that lead to that response hold a lifetime of hurts. When I think of the pain that little girl-grown woman's heart has held, it makes me a little short of breath. I feel something like physical pain in my chest. At the moment she said it, there were no words to fix it. There are no words now. But there is the Father. There is Jesus. There is the Holy Spirit. And there you are. Here I am. Maybe today when I see her, when you see her, we can ask on her behalf that she feel the love of the Father, the comfort of the Spirit, and redemption of the Son. We can look her in the eye, recognize her humanity and speak to her.