Look for life’s lessons

“He who is faithful in a very little thing will be faithful over much.”

— Luke 16:10 (AMP)

Most of us have had some major lessons in our lives. You know the ones; whenever you think of them you feel that gnawing sensation in the pit of your stomach.

But how many of us pay attention to those little things that God uses to mold and shape our character?

It was decades ago when stores started having the corrals for shopping carts. Before then we were to return our carts to the store. Most customers just found some level ground in the parking lot and left it there. I followed the crowd in that practice, until shopping for groceries one busy Saturday afternoon.

As I placed each brown paper bag into the back seat of my car, I struggled against the strong winds to keep the cart steady. I had just placed my last bag in the car and I contemplated what to do, even though I knew the right thing was to return the cart to its proper place inside the store.

The rain and wind were getting the best of me. So I tried to balance the cart on the parking lot lines to keep it from banging into the vehicle next to mine. Every time I thought I just about had it in place, it would start rolling away and I would quickly retrieve it and try it again.

“Ahh, I’ve finally got it,” I thought to myself as I managed to balance the cart. But as I started around the car to get into the drivers seat a big gust of wind grabbed the cart and off it went soaring through the parking lot. I watched in horror as it zoomed through the lot just missing each vehicle in its path, landing in large pool of water at the end of the parking lot.

Getting a grip on my emotions, I got into my car hoping no one was watching my fiasco.

As I drove out of the lot past the stuck cart, I felt like God was saying to me, “Now you’ve done it. Some employee will have to walk all the way to the end of the parking lot and get their feet wet just to retrieve that cart.”

I felt bad. I realized, had I returned the cart to its proper place, I would be respecting some worker who had to retrieve it.

Now I try to return my cart to the corral where it belongs. I’ve learned God uses these little lessons in our practical daily life to build big character in us. Character to achieve greater things.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.