God's Messengers
 By Rev. Robert J. Hermley

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The old woman was reaching up to get a can of something or other from the grocery shelf.  She tried several times, but could not quite reach it.  A teen-aged boy had stopped his shopping to eye her for a moment.  She reminded him of his grandmother who had recently died.  For a second, he pictured himself shopping again with her, as he had often done in the past.  She would read off from her list of various items and he would scramble off to get them from the shelf before she reached the spot with her cat.  He smiled a pleasant, remembering smile, although his eyes had begun to mist.

"Pardon me," he said to the woman, "may I help you get that can?  I see you are having trouble reaching it."

"Well, thank you," she replied, "aren't you kind.  You remind me of my grandson; he's about your age, but I don't see him very often. He never visits me."

The teenager handed her the can which she deposited in the cart and the grandmother flashed a smile that seemed to light up the entire store.  "May you always stay so kind," she said, as she disappeared around the corner of the aisle - humming along as she shuffled away.

The teenager knew that he had brought a moment of happiness into her rather dull life, and he continued his few purchases smiling and feeling happy for a very long time;

How often do people meet accidentally in this very busy world today and fail to see that the person across from them needs a small favor, a kind word or a pat on the back?  A pleasant smile or a helping hand takes only a moment, but its results and rewards are long-lasting.

Scripture tells us that the Angels are God's messengers to mankind; it would appear that God, sometimes, uses us instead!