A young man working at a local grocery store chose to help a stranger in a way that is now touching hearts across the country.
Most of us treat the grocery store like a race. We grab our milk and bread then rush to the shortest line because we have a million things to do at home. We usually don’t even look at the person scanning our bags.
But for the people behind that register, the checkout line is a window into what everyone is going through. They see the tired moms and the folks counting pennies and the people who are just having a really hard day.
Brent Cabahug sees those struggles every day at his job in Stillwater. It is his first job since moving from the Philippines in September 2023. He brings a perspective he learned from a household that prioritizes helping others.
While we are checking our watches and wishing the line would move faster, Brent is actually paying attention to the faces in front of him.
Last Tuesday, that focus allowed him to see an elderly lady who was hitting a breaking point. Her credit card wouldn’t work. The machine kept saying no.
Dani Dircks was standing a few spots back with her daughter, Sailor, and she could feel the tension rising. It’s that awkward moment where everyone else usually looks away or starts huffing in frustration.
Brent did the opposite of what most people do. He stepped out from behind the counter and quietly took care of it. He didn’t ask for a manager or wait for someone else to step up. He just used his own hard-earned money to pay for her groceries.
“I watched this cashier, knowing nothing about him, walk around, knowing nothing about that lady, and he didn’t care,” Dani said.
She noticed that he didn’t care about her politics or her background. He just saw a neighbor in need. Brent says he wasn’t trying to be a hero. “I just did it because it was the right thing to do,” he explained.
The lady might not have even known it was him who saved her day. He just wanted to do his thing and go back to work.
Dani was so moved by Brent’s act of kindness. She started a GoFundMe to help him buy a car and attend nursing school after graduation. He wants to become a CNA because he loves helping people.
When we serve others without seeking recognition, we reflect God’s love in its purest form. May we all find opportunities to be the hands that help, the hearts that care, and the light that shines hope into someone’s difficult day.
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