response

When I walked into the post office yesterday my first instinct was to turn right back around and leave. Buying postcard stamps wasn't really worth the line of irritable people waiting, all angry at the woman at the head of the line who wanted something that the one poor guy working clearly hadn't been able to find for awhile now.

But I had just blogged EMBRACE WAITING, so I couldn't justify to myself refusing to wait. I wasn't in a hurry. I didn't have anywhere I had to be. There was no reason I couldn't wait. And to do so cheerfully. Or at least not irritably.

Unlike the woman in line directly ahead of me. Who was so frustrated by the wait that she had begun mumbling to herself. Pacing. Holding up the one letter she had, that simply needed a stamp. One stamp. And since there were no stamp machines at the post office she had no choice but to wait.

"I like your shirt," I told her when she came to a break in her mumbling. "It looks really soft."

This sounded dumb in my head, and even dumber as it came out of my mouth, especially since she was wearing an ordinary gray t-shirt, but I said it anyway.

And immediately her countenance changed. "Thank you. It is soft. And comfortable. When you get to my age comfort is so important." (She was probably in her late 60s.) She went on to tell me where she bought it. How good the quality was. And about another store that had even softer shirts. Like silk. In v-neck and crew. Also comfortable. Which is so important at her age. By the time she got to the counter to buy her one stamp for her one letter she was smiling and thanking the desk clerk for being so helpful.

I didn't do anything extraordinary. I simply chose a better response than the others in line who chose to be irritated by something beyond their control. We always have a choice.

We can choose to respond to our families and friends and neighbors with frustration, irritation, or indifference. Or we can treat everyone as a unique individual worthy of love.

We can choose to go along with the crowd and bad mouth and mock our government, our politicians, our president, and our healthcare. Or we can speak life into the world.

We can choose to complain about our pastors who preach too long or too loud or too academic for our liking. Or we can respond with prayer for our pastors to experience God's anointing in the pulpit.

We can choose to curse long lines, traffic, and poor service. Or we can respond as a light in the darkness.

We can choose our response.

EMBRACE RESPONSE.

How will you choose to respond today?