Beware of Shopping Carts!

Oh how I love my children! There are times when they can be disobedient and fighting with each other. But other times, the ones I choose to remember, are filled with laughing and love and kindness.

EE is my sweet and sensitive one, always so thoughtful and giving. She has already decided that she is going to teach foreign countries about Jesus! WOW!

The other day while we were shopping, JJ was in the front of the cart, where it is supposed to be safe, right? I remember reading just the other day about how unsafe carts were. "many shopping carts are designed with a high center of gravity, making them prone to tipping over even when children are properly placed in the seating area".

I remember thinking how absurd! I have been putting my child in there for over 7 years (well, not the same child, but always a child for the past seven years). So I quickly put away the article and went on my day.

Well, we are in the checkout line and I have JJ in the cart (not in the back where the cart pictures tell me it is dangerous, but right there where the cart tells me to put him). Low and behold the cart tips over!!! I had not buckled JJ in (because I had put a floppy seat there and you cannot use the cart buckle with those seat covers).

Anyways, I did not hear a cry! I looked down and THERE WAS EE! She was lying down on the floor. The cart and fallen on top of her (no she had not been standing on the cart, just happened to be in front of the cart entertaining JJ while I was checking out). Her hands were wrapped around JJ. Even SHE was not crying or screaming!

I had always heard of stories of other families where their children were selfless. They would put themselves in harms way to protect a younger sibling. I had told my children these stories in hopes that they would learn to serve their siblings, even if it meant them getting hurt.

Little did I know that I would have my own story to tell.

EE is fine. Her back hurts (it took the blow to the floor instead of her head). And because she stayed calm, JJ stayed calm. He is 18 months now and probably thought it was fun. Silly boy!

I no longer put my children in the cart where it tells me to. I will have to find a sling or remember his shoes and just walk VERY SLOWLY everywhere. :) I wish I could remember where I read that article. I wish I had been more open to it and seeked God about it. God might have put that article in my path to warn me. And I missed it in my own pride. For now on, I will seek God about His truth regarding articles I read.

I will continue to tell the stories of other brave children who were selfless and helped their sibling in spite of danger to themselves. But now, I will add the story of EE, who selflessly helped her baby brother and may have saved his life. And how God saved them both.