Charity at the Grocery Store

        Recently at the grocery store the cashier rang up my purchases and then asked if I wished to add a donation to one of the store's several charities. When I said no, the cashier looked at me as if my ears were covered in green fuzz. So, I responded.

        What I said was that I donate to my local church, a dog rescue group, and to a well-known major national Christian charity which provides disaster relief, food supplies, farm implements and animals, Bibles and Christian educational materials, occupational training, sewing machines, washing machines, medical procedures and supplies, construction supplies, etc.  

        The cashier perhaps felt a little blasted by this but I was not angry and was not addressing the comments directly at him. I hoped that everyone in line was hearing what I was saying. I made several points: Most people give nothing to charity except for an occasional grudging dollar or two at the grocery store. Charity means absolutely nothing unless it is done willingly and gladly. If everyone would choose just one charity and regularly give to that one charity, all the charities would be adequately funded. Christians can preach with their actions.

        Perhaps the grocery store checkout line was an unusual pulpit, but sometimes things just need to be said as the Holy Spirit leads. There is no hard historical documentation that Francis of Assisi actually said this, but it is a true statement anyway, "preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."