I have a very important secret to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone about it. You most certainly cannot share it on Facebook or, heaven forbid, post it anywhere on a blog. Secretly, I’m Batman. It’s hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. I’ve used this joke a million times, and I have a pretty good reason. To raise some money for the World Race, I got a job. I work at a grocery store called United Supermarkets. Of course, since I’m batman, I work at night. Anyone time that someone asks how I am able to work from ten P.M. to six A.M. I simply tell them that I am Batman. Most people enjoy the joke, and we go on with our lives. The other night however, I got a different response. I was having a rough day. The day before, a drunk driver drove their car through my fence, almost hitting my house. Because of this, I had to clean up some of the mess. It was not very difficult, but it meant skipping my afternoon nap. I was only supposed to work from nine to two that night and so I thought that was fine. Later that day however, I got a phone call from work. The person who was supposed to work the ten to six got sick and they needed someone to fill in. I said yes without thinking, and so I had to work ten to six that night. Needless to say, by about three in the morning, I was not a happy camper. I was about ready to give up. A group of college students came in and did some late night, or early morning, grocery shopping. This was no surprise since I live in a college town, and about 75% of our customers are students. The first woman, someone who was extremely perky for three in the morning, was ready before the rest of them, and so I started checking her out. I asked her how she was doing and she didn’t give the stereotypical “I’m good.” She instead said that she had had a long day and so she was going to be as happy as possible. I smiled, trying to forget my weariness and started up a conversation with her. When she inquired about how I could work nights and still be in High School, I told her that I was Batman. She laughed, but she was really impressed that I could work this late. Her friends caught up with her, and she explained to them that I was a high School student who was working nights. Her friends were equally impressed with me. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but they did. This interaction made me happy and made me forget how tired I was. We talked for a while and they inquired about what college I’d be going to next year. This was another question I’ve heard a million times. I told them about the World Race, and mentioned that I was working to raise money. They said that they would love to support me. I just happened to have one of my support letters with me, so I gave it to them. We shook hands, and then they left. Whether or not they knew it, they made my night. I was so happy to see complete strangers take an interest in what I was doing. This reminded me of something that I heard a long time ago. Our disappointment is God’s divine appointment. I had been upset and disappointed that I had to work so long that night. God used that as a time for me to tell more people about the World Race, and more importantly, about God.
