The Day We Brought Joy to Everyone in Walmart

My grandboy Ethan is one happy kid. When I see him, his face lights up. When we play peek-a-boo, he throws his head back in peals of laughter. When he wrestles with his big brothers, his chortles rise from the pile. Glee should be the name of his personal show.On a recent Wednesday his cold meant he couldn’t go to Bible Study Fellowship with Mom. So he went shopping at Walmart with me. What a time we had!As we wound through the lanes, his laughter filled the air. Peek-a-boo brought repeated giggles. The animal sound toy I bought him kept us both laughing as we each quacked, barked, neighed, baa’d….Ethan’s joy was infectious. In each aisle, people turned to see who was making all the noise. And always, they smiled. They said, “What a happy boy.” Some chuckled. Others laughed. No one frowned.We covered the entire store! Bringing merriment and hilarity to the drudgery of that Wednesday to scores of bored shoppers.The joy Jesus offers is even better, deeper, truer. Are we infecting people with it wherever we go? Is our joy spilling out and filling up all those in the aisles of our lives?© 2011 Judy Douglassen español:  El Día que Llevamos Gozo a Todos en Walmart