When it's More Than a Job

Every now and then, we have the blessing of running into someone at a store who goes that extra mile.  The cashier who takes the time to talk to you and your children; the clerk who actually seems like he or she wants to genuinely help you when you need it; the greeter who asks how your day is going as you enter the store, then waves enthusiastically to your child as he calls out "Bye bye!" and blows kisses when you leave; the barista at the drive thru who smiles, waves and says, "Aww!  You're welcome!" when your over-enthusiastic toddler calls, "Thank you!" and blows kisses from the backseat.  These are the people I greatly appreciate.  I always hope that I'm as nice to them as they are to us and that I remember to show my gratitude.

I recently had the pleasure of running into such a person.  Not only did this gentleman go the extra mile, but it was obvious this man does more than take his job seriously:  It's also a ministry to him.

Shawn and I went out for a very long-overdue date a few weeks ago.  While we were out, we made a stop at a bookstore so I could look for something to lead a Bible study/support group for parents with children with special needs (I'm still putting together my proposal for the group I want to start at the center).  Rather than attempt to go through every single book in the store, I asked one of the men who was working there if he could help me.  As he was typing my request into his search engine, he asked if I'm a parent of a child with special needs.  I liked this man right away:  He used the word "with," rather than saying, "special needs child."  We started talking and I told him a little bit about Noah.  In turn, he told me about his own son, born at 27 weeks with numerous health problems and not a very good prognosis.  Now he's 18, just graduated from high school and headed to a fairly prestigious college to study elementary education while he works toward his ultimate goal:  Becoming a preacher.  I smiled at that and shared Noah's vision from God with him, when God told Noah He wants him to preach His Word.

After helping me find my book, this gentleman got a curious look on his face.  He hesitated, then went on to tell me about a whiteboard on the wall back by his office.  He told me that people come in throughout the week to write prayer requests up there, while still more people come in to write them down, take them home and pray over them.  He told me that he and his staff also pray over these requests during staff meetings, as well as taking them home to pray over the requests on their own time.  I was in tears at this point, of course.  I wanted to hug the man.

Shawn and I paid for our items, thanked this gentleman, then I worked my way back to the whiteboard.  What to write?  I thought, then prayed for a few minutes, my hand hovering over the whiteboard.  Finally, I asked for strength for our family, for continued hope and peace in the face of everything that is thrown our way.  Being that this long-overdue date was occurring on the night of our eleventh anniversary, I also asked for a blessing over the next eleven years.  It was a comfort knowing others would join me in my requests.  It's always a comfort knowing my requests never fall on deaf ears.

I don't know how this gentleman began his day.  I don't know if he started out with a prayer to touch lives for the good of Christ.  I don't know what kind of day he'd had up until the moment of our conversation.  I do know that I hope I touched his life with my gratefulness.  I hope that he saw my appreciation in my eyes as I eeked out a quiet "Thank you, sir" around the knot in my throat.  I hope he knows that no matter what his prayers were that morning, he touched a life for the good of Christ, that he was a vessel of His Word.  

 "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.  To hie be the glory and the power for ever and every.  Amen."  1 Peter 9-11 (NIV)