Louise
Redden,
a
poorly
dressed
lady
with
a
look
of
defeat
on
her
face,
walked
into
a
grocery
store.
She
approached
the
owner
of
the
store
in
a
most
humble
manner
and
asked
if
he
would
let
her
charge
a
few
groceries.
She
softly
explained
that
her
husband
was
very
ill
and
unable
to
work,
they
had
seven
children
and
they
needed
food.
John
Longhouse,
the
grocer
scoffed
at
her
and
requested
that
she
leave
his
store
at
once.
Visualizing
the
family
needs,
she
said,
"Please,
sir!
I
will
bring
you
the
money
just
as
soon
as
I
can."
John
told
her
he
could
not
give
her
credit
since
she
did
not
have
a
charge
account
at
his
store.
Standing
beside
the
counter
was
a
customer
who
overheard
the
conversation
between
the
two.
The
customer
walked
forward
and
told
the
grocer
that
he
would
stand
good
for
whatever
she
needed
for
her
family.
The
grocer
said
in
a
very
reluctant
voice,
"Do
you
have
a
grocery
list?"
Louise
replied,
"Yes
sir."
"O.K."
he
said,
"put
your
grocery
list
on
the
scales
and
whatever
your
grocery
list
weighs,
I
will
give
you
that
amount
in
groceries."
Louise,
hesitated
a
moment
with
a
bowed
head,
then
she
reached
into
her
purse
and
took
out
a
piece
of
paper
and
scribbled
something
on
it.
She
then
laid
the
piece
of
paper
on
the
scale
carefully
with
her
head
still
bowed.
The
eyes
of
the
grocer
and
the
customer
showed
amazement
when
the
scales
went
down
and
stayed
down.
The
grocer,
staring
at
the
scales,
turned
slowly
to
the
customer
and
said
begrudgingly,
"I
can't
believe
it."
The
customer
smiled
and
the
grocer
started
putting
the
groceries
on
the
other
side
of
the
scales.
The
scale
did
not
balance
so
he
continued
to
put
more
and
more
groceries
on
them
until
the
scales
would
hold
no
more.
The
grocer
stood
there
in
utter
disgust.
Finally,
he
grabbed
the
piece
of
paper
from
the
scales
and
looked
at
it
with
greater
amazement.
It
was
not
a
grocery
list,
it
was
a
prayer,
which
said:
"Dear
Lord,
you
know
my
needs
and
I
am
leaving
this
in
your
hands."
The
grocer
gave
her
the
groceries
that
he
had
gathered
and
stood
in
stunned
silence.
Louise
thanked
him
and
left
the
store.
The
other
customer
handed
a
fifty-dollar
bill
to
the
grocer
and
said,
"It
was
worth
every
penny
of
it.
Only
God
Knows
how
much
a
prayer
weighs."
