The Scene in a Target store

You could hear her throughout the entire Target store. All the way in the back of the store, next to the bicycles and exercise equipment, - extremely loud screams could be heard. At first I just smiled a little smile, one that said, "whew, I am kid-less for this afternoon, and the poor mama over there has her hands FULL!" - and dismissed the noise. I'm pretty used to sounds such as these. They are a part of my world, and they come and go.

But after a while it wasn't quite so easy to dismiss the clamor. Yes, I am used to fit-throwing and loudness, but this became something different. This little girl, out shopping with her mommy and brother was all kinds of losing it. The screams only got louder, closer together, and more intense. 

My shopping was done, and I was making my way up towards the front to complete my purchases. - Up towards The Scene that was now in full swing. I was surprised by what I saw when I approached the area near where this little family was. Everything had slowed down. Shoppers were stopped in their tracks, literally gawking as this mom tried to settle her little girl. The girl would have none of the settling. "I wanted those ear muffs! I won't leave until you buy them for me!" - If it wasn't the ear muffs it would have likely been something else. The young one appeared to be over-tired, and of course stubborn. I know the drill.

 I've been her, I've been her mama. 

 But what I did not want to be was the other patrons of this Target store, whose jaws were nearly on the cold cement floor. 

I wanted to be the one to break the trance they all were in. Jump from aisle to aisle and say "Show's over folks! Either encourage her, or be on your way. Stop the staring, as if you've never seen a child throw a fit. Stop!" Maybe they hadn't. Perhaps they would never dream of having a child of theirs lose it in public. Must be nice. 

The mom held it together surprising well for a good long time. She was talking sternly, but not loudly enough to be heard by anyone except her children. She slowly moved through the line as her daughter continued the screaming and then added kicking. She kicked her boots off in the aisle. Mom calmly told her she would be awfully cold outside without her boots. The little girl began to scream that she hated her mom. No one moved. All check out aisles were pretty much halted as This Scene played out. I engaged the man in charge of my checkout aisle in conversation, in an effort to get things moving again. 

And then out of the corner of my eye I saw this mom break. How embarrassing, right? This had been going on for at least 15 minutes, and all of her efforts to quell the fit were unfruitful. She grabbed the girl's arm and this time quite loudly, let her have it. My heart rate was rising, because I knew where she was at, and I just wanted to get through the checkout line so that I could help. 

How? I don't know. 

What would I do? I didn't know. 

What to say? No idea. 

But my heart was compelling me to break the staring, and the negative head shaking, and the standing there like a statue, watching the train wreck. 

The guy checking out my purchases was saying something about "some people's kids" etc etc etc. I told him that I hoped he had a good day, and I meant it, but I hurried away.

I just touched her arm, because she wouldn't have looked up if I didn't. Her head shot up and defense was written over ever square inch of her face. Other heads snapped up too. Someone was approaching "The Scene?!"

"Hey, I've been here before.

 Right where you are at. 

And… and I get it." - It sounded utterly weak and meaningless in the moment, but it was all that came through my lips. I had been praying - begging God for the past few minutes that I would say and do the right thing. The clearest answer I had was "of anything you could do, just don't do nothing. Do not stand and stare, and then breeze by."

I didn't look at my audience, but I felt the eyes burning into the back of us. I didn't care what kinds of things were being said, but I heard the buzz of words around us. I got down on my knee and looked at the flushed and tear stained face of the little girl. "Rough day, huh?" - She just stared, wide eyed, but she stopped screaming. I patted her arm gently - while still trying to give them space. I could see that the mom wanted to bolt. She was suspicious of me, and I get that too. I stood up and touched her arm again, "I have four boys…" - She seemed to relax just a little bit. My heart was compelling her to just stop, 

take a break,

step back, 

breathe. 

She was so close to reacting, and falling apart, and I wanted to give her a brief moment to regroup. 

I smiled into her eyes, and then I quietly left. I felt that anything more would be too much for her. 

But anything less would have been disobedience. And it made me think of all the times that I don't want to talk 

and touch 

and feel. 

Enter in 

and get hands dirty. 

Take a hit, 

field comments, 

be different. 

How many times has God whispered to my heart,
"move,
get up,
go over there,
feel,
talk,
 act!
Whatever you do, do NOT be apathetic. I did not create you for apathy, girl! Go."

And I have laughed it off as a silly compulsion, and went on my way.

May God make me miserable if I ever walk away again.