I think one of the most overlooked, yet profound, opportunities for showing the love of God and mercy comes in lines. Bank lines, post office lines, check out lines, traffic lines, lost luggage lines, on hold on the phone lines, or online.....all these every day situations are hidden traps, I think, and snares to get us feeling "our right" to make a hue and a cry about some small slight or irritation. How much of a cool water blessing can we be when it is our turn at the check out stand or at the post office and instead of being irritable and hurried, we look at the living, breathing, hurting, loving, tired human being in front of us and offer a genuine warm smile, a greeting, and a sincere "How are you today?" or "My goodness you are working hard!".
I think we may not understand how much a person needed us NOT to be grouchy or irritable, and just needed one person in that line of 20 to just be nice. Just be kind. Just recognize them as a person and not a piece of furniture or our personal venting board. Their struggles are not less than ours, our time not more valuable. We are humans and are all on the clock of our lives.
I bet you have been extra kind and watched a hardened, defensive face soften a bit, haven't you? It is such a wonderful miracle, isn't it? :)
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