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| The
Grocery List |
Louise Redden, A poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her
face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of
the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her
charge a few groceries.
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable
to work, they had seven children and they needed food.
John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her request and suggested
that she leave his store. Visualizing her family needs she said,
"Please sir I will bring you the money as soon as I get it".
John told her he could not give her credit, as she didn't have
a charge account at his store.
Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the
conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and
told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she
needed for her family. The grocer, in a very reluctant voice,
said "Do you have a grocery list?".
Louise replied "Yes sir"
"Okay" he said. "Put your grocery list on the scales and whatever
your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries."
Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached
into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled
something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale
carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocer
and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and
stayed down.
The grocer, staring at the scales, said begrudgingly, "I can't
believe it".
The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries
on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he
continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales
would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust.
Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked
at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a
prayer which read "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving
this in your hands."
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had placed on the
scales and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left
the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to John and
said, "It was worth every penny of it".
It was sometime later that John Longhouse discovered the scales were
broken... therefore only GOD knows how much a prayer weighs.
-- Unknown |
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