Everybody Matters

Yes, it's true. I've been accused of talking too much. I know it. You know it.

I'm not really sure how it happened, but I have developed a different type of talking "thing" in the last...I don't know...20 or 25 years. I've gotten some interesting responses from dinner and shopping companions because of it. I'm not even trying to get attention with it, but I get it anyway. It's just such a natural habit that I don't even realize I'm doing it.

Basically, when I go out in public, I am overly conscious of all the other people who are out there, too. I'm not talking about all the other people who went out in public the way I did...to get some laundry supplies, to grab a quick meal on-the-run, to make a pit stop with the boys because it "cannot wait!", to make a transaction at the bank, or on a really special day, actually sit down in a restaurant for a quiet meal with a friend or my sweet husband.

The people I notice most are those who are tallying my purchase, taking my crazed food order, re-stocking and straightening the store shelves, holding a door open for me and my entourage, changing the garbage can liners in the restroom, sweeping the food court floor at the mall, counting the number of items I'm allowed to carry into the fitting room, filling and re-filling my sweet tea and salsa, standing guard at the door in case we decide to steal something, pushing around a cleaning cart and wearing those lovely protective gloves to keep off the gross stuff. I'm only one of the many that these people are serving.

Have you seen THOSE people? I hope so.

Just where did these people come from? And what are they thinking? The nerve!

A little common courtesy, please. I am constantly aware of the unconscionable rudeness and mistreatment that I see every time I am in a public place. Even at church. No, I'm not talking about the ones in service positions. I'm talking about us, the patrons of all these places in our bubble of the creme de la creme. Uh, oh. I may get some nasty-grams because of this. Maybe you've suddenly decided I'm talking too much again.

Please, please, please take an extra 4 seconds out of your trip to the Huge-orama store to look the person working at the check-out line in the eye and say SOMETHING to them. Tell them "hello" before they say it to you (You know they HAVE to say it to you. It's part of their job. If they didn't say "Hi! How are you today?", chances are you would think they were pretty darn rude & have a bad attitude about their job. Ironic?). Actually look at their face and find their eyes. They're located just above the nose and sometimes are hidden behind a pair of glasses. If you find them & speak pleasantly to this person, I'll bet you'll find some teeth located just below that same nose. That's called a smile!!!!!!

Here's what happened to me. In high school, I worked for a local department store. I now firmly believe every teen needs to have a job in a retail or restaurant environment (or other service-type job). It put me on the flip side of being out in public at the most opportune time. To some degree, I still suffered from a sense of entitlement as a teen (and still have to watch it at times), but I know that job opened my eyes to a whole new perspective. I was the one treated rudely. I got the brunt of frustration from customers who had a bad day. I had to clean up the fitting room that was trashed with clothes off their hangers, paper & chewed gum on the floor and handprints on the mirrors. I got to clean up little-girl pee-pee on the sales floor at another retail job...then re-hang (seriously) about 20 different clothing items the mom left all over the fitting room...at closing time (I think she bought one item. I'm not bitter.). I was even *gasp* ignored! But, God is good and has brought me full-circle.

I've learned that I'm not the only one who notices these people in service positions. My children notice them, too. It's almost like the kids seek them out so they can say "hello!" They don't really seek them, but they DO notice and speak to them. We also smile and speak to people sitting alone, people on elevators and just...people. With all the many flaws and failures in my life, I'm glad this isn't one of them. (NOTE: We also talk about when it is and is not appropriate to speak to strangers, so no nasty grams for that!)

Acknowledging people is the first active step in living like you believe everybody matters! Maybe you believe it, maybe not, but you should because God does.

God believed that you matter enough for His only Son, Jesus Christ, to make a trip to our earth for the sole purpose of dying as a sacrifice to pay for your sins. Your sins are booking you a one-way ticket to a place where God never visits and where your eternity is waaaaaay worse than any service or hard labor job you can even imagine...with complete darkness and seperation from God. But, Jesus paid the price for your sins. All you have to do is accept his payment as His gift to you and make him the Lord of your life. It's that easy...for anybody.