Yesterday I went to a local store to return a lawn mower. We just bought it Friday so that my son could continue mowing my Father-in-law's yard and before the job was complete, it stopped working. My husband was able to get it working again but soon after, it gave out.
I decided that it was not worth the battle. We have two but one is at our property and the other is being repaired so.....I made the trek to return it. I figured that it would be no big deal. When I purchased it 72 hours ago, I was assured that as long as I kept my receipt, there would not be a problem.
When I arrived at the store, I asked a gentleman in the gardening department if he would help me unload it. He was so friendly and kind. He had a joyful spirit and a peace about him that I could not understand. He willingly went to my vehicle and loaded the mower in a basket and brought it in. I had it in the original box so we could not just roll it in. It was early in the morning so foot traffic was very light and there were hardly any customers in the store-but you know....there always has to be one.
The gentleman told me "you can get a refund here [gardening] no problem." I said thank you and got in line. As I am waiting, I realize the customer in front of me is paying and she must have two hundred coupons!! Just kidding but it seemed like two hundred.
The poor cashier was scanning and scanning and scanning. And of course, with coupons, there is often a question or challenge. The customer turned to me and said "If you want a refund, you need to go up front." I thought that was interesting since if that was the case, the cashier would have told me. I replied that the gentleman had told me I could do it here. "Well okay then" was her reply. I had no where to go, I was not in a hurry so I waited.
I did notice that the cashier was getting restless. She had scanned so many coupons. I also noticed that her name tag had her name prominently displayed....three little letters-Joy! As I examined her face I thought, "She does not look like she is joyful right now."
I wondered if that's what we look like when we say we are joyful serving Christ. It looked like Joy had lost her joy. There was no smile, there was only frustration and impatience. I said a small prayer and asked God to give her peace and joy.
When she was finally through scanning all those coupons, I let the gentleman behind me go first. He only had a 9 volt battery to purchase and I had a return. That seemed to cheer up Joy and she took care of me with absolutely no attitude and a smile.
I told Joy to have a good day and as I walked out, I made it a point to find the gentleman who had assisted me with the mower. I often look at name tags so that I can address individuals by name. When I saw the gentleman, I said "Thank you Paz for helping me with the mower." In his broken english he replied "You're welcome."
Paz....the spanish word for peace. I had indeed met with Peace and Joy this morning.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
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