“I hate surprises”, I mumble as I head towards the garage. Barely awake and grumpy, I grabbed my keys and fumbled my way into my car. You see, Wednesday’s are my ‘favorite’ day of the week. It’s the day we do our ministry staff meeting and as with most people I’m not a fan of meetings. Today was different- we were doing a staff fun day but they wouldn’t tell us what we were doing which took the fun out of staff fun day for me.
I get in the drivers seat and as I shake the sleep from my eyes I noticed the fuel light on. “Crap! I knew I should’ve filled that up last night”. I give the clock the evil eye as though it was at fault that I had to go to the gas station. “I guess I have time” ,I thought to myself, “but I’m getting doughnuts and orange juice.
Driving down the road the sun gently warms my face which makes me smile a little. I turn into the gas station a little less annoyed but my stomach gently grumbles a small reminder that I am hungry. I get the gas pump set up and I make my way inside.
I scour the shelves and quickly find my breakfast of choice. I make my way to the counter there was only one other person in front of me. So I let out a little sigh because the only thing I hate more than a meeting is waiting in line (unless it’s at Disneyland haha) Time was not yet urgent but was close enough that it needed to be considered. As I stand there I notice that this person’s purchase is taking an abnormally long time. I give my best evil glare to the back of the head in front of me so that somehow my brainwaves will send a burning signal into theirs in hopes that they might move a little more quickly. Suddenly I notice that the guy in front of me has adopted the same impatient stance I am wearing. I then realize my evil brainwave glare of doom is misdirected. My eyes adjust and focus past the head in front of me and moves beyond the counter and fixates on the day dreaming gas attendant person (or GAP). “Oh great”, I mutter with frustration that oddly matches the frustration level of the sighing done by the guy in front of me.
GAP is a tall lanky fellow with dark shaggy hair. His skin an olive-ish color that is just mysterious enough in tone that his ethnicity wasn’t familiar to the catalog of my mind. I stare down his every move which were few and slow. He would make one active step at a time to getting his customer out the door but he would pause between each step to gaze out the window. With each pause my jaw would tighten as to keep my tongue from screaming at him to move quicker. The tighter my jaw became the tighter my eyes would squint and focus on his movements or lack there of in this case.
After what seemed to be a 5-10 minute eternity of waiting. The guy in front of me exits the scene. I approach the counter walking a little taller in attempt to show the seriousness of my crumb doughnuts and off brand orange juice purchase. I was not about to let GAP waste my time like he did the guy before me. I confidently set my purchase on the counter and look up to see the now familiar picture of GAP gazing out the window. Thats when I feel it…i feel my mind fill with all the things I was going to say, the way I was cutting him down as a person for his poor work ethic, judgments on the lack of anything interesting that could be stared at for that long out the window. The more and more I plot the verbal battle in my mind the more my face begins to flush with frustration and I can feel my jaw beginning to loosen ready to let all my words flee the cage I’ve locked them in. “doesn’t he know I am headed for a staff fun day”, I think to myself.
Simultaneously i realize the ridiculousness of my accusation and the absurdity of my sudden rush to be somewhere I didn’t want to be. I shake my head a little as to shake loose the thought I just had. I look back up and GAP is starting to turn towards me for the first time since I approached the counter and I’m trying to formulate my first words to begin our verbal battle but all I can think is “remember PAL. Everyone has a story”.
My went blank, jaw unclenched, and demeanor changed. Over and over again, as GAP began to punch the buttons on the register, I could only think ” everyone has a story. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a story.” All that i had prepared for this moment was gone and I went with the only thing I knew, “so, how has your day been? You having a good morning?” The phrase was glib and trite but it was genuinely asked. GAP again turned his attention outside once more, but this time I looked with him and for the first time I saw something more than cars and gas pumps. I finally saw what was abnormal in that picture and what I assumed might be holding GAP’s attention. There was a strange man outside taking pictures of the gas station. “That’s a strange tourist, I can think of some more exciting things to see in fort worth than a gas station” my lame joke made it hard for me to even fake a laugh. But little did I realize as the the words fumbled out of my mouth that I had stumbled upon GAP’s story.
GAP finally spoke…mainly mumbles that were hard to understand as his mouth turned back and forth between me and the window. But what I did quickly recognize was his tone of concern. GAP wasnt daydreaming he was worried. Through his low tones I gathered that some accident had taken place with the gas station and the strange man outside and GAP had been unsuccessful in removing the man from the property and now the man was preparing to file a lawsuit against the gas station (thus the picture taking). GAPs every gaze outside was one of wonder and concern. It seemed as though the outcome of the whole situation rested on his shoulders so it was no wonder work was hard for him to concentrate on. I would have felt the same way had it been me.
As our time together at the counter came to a close, GAP kinda smiled and said that the guy really didn’t have a case. I smiled and assured him that everything would turn out fine. I left kicking myself for quickly judging GAP and frustrated at my selfishness and ability to quickly forget what I learned from PAL. As I got back in my car I prayed that God would open my eyes to see the people around me and be aware that they each have their stories. I prayed that he would help me seek out their stories and love them like he loved them. Little did I know that this prayer would begin to shape my next few weeks.
It’s a bold prayer but I ask are you too selfish to spend the time to find out what people’s stories are? They are there just waiting to be discovered are you willing to take the time?