I love sending mail. I love receiving mail. What I don’t love? The Post Office. It seems that no matter what time of day I go, the line is to the door and there are never enough people working. Though I’m embarrassed to admit it, my mind comes up with snide remarks (that, of course, stay in my mind and do not come out of my mouth) when I’m asked for the fourth time this week, “Does this contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous?”
I found myself tearing up as we thanked him and went on about our day. It clearly wasn’t about the stamps. It was about having a tangible reminder of God’s image and presence that dwells inside each one of us. It was a reminder that He gives us opportunities each day to share the light that He has placed in our hearts.
Yesterday as I made yet another trip to the post office, I found myself a little more conscious of my thoughts and my attitude. An elderly woman was in front of me and a middle-age man in front of her. As we neared the front of the line the man said to the woman, “Ma’am, you can go on ahead of me.” She held up her large bag of packages and warned him that she had a lot, to which he responded, “Go ahead. Take your time.”
I wish I could have captured moments that followed that for all of you to experience. A genuine smile spread across her face and you could see that this small act of kindness went straight to her heart. And, of course, my eyes filled up with tears again, God gently reminding me of the simple ways we can love and honor one another.
As she finished paying for her packages, she pulled two candy canes out of her purse, smiled, and handed one to each of the cashiers saying, “This is for doing such a great job.” The cashiers both smiled and you could tell this kind act touched their hearts, too. And for the third time in a week, my eyes filled up with tears at the post office of all places.
Do I have to love the post office? No. But I am called to love each of God’s children that I come across in the post office and everywhere else. It is so easy to get caught up in the business of the season-to get frustrated when the lines are long and the cashier doesn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry, to want to race to get the best spot in the parking lot, to get angry when someone cuts you off in traffic, to get easily irritated in crowds of pushy people. There have definitely been moments when I haven’t best reflected Christ’s image this season, but God loves me enough to send me reminders of who He is and who He calls me to be during a time of year that is supposed to be about Him and His love for us.
And if you need it, let this be your reminder. You, too, have the opportunity to share God’s love and be His light to someone today. So go ahead and make someone’s day. Do something good for another person. You never know what kind of crazy person is watching, tearing up, and receiving a gentle reminder from God about the reason for the season. J
