Finding Grace in the Speedy Lane

Finding Grace in the Speedy Lane

This morning I went to the YMCA for my regular workout. After an hour of cardio I headed home, but not before a quick stop to the grocery store. Dressed in my workout attire and looking, well, pretty much like I had just spent an hour on the elliptical machine, I hurried in for a few items. As I wandered around the store my cart was filling up and my few items turned into 20 or 30. When I finished shopping, I headed over to the checkout line. The lines were not long, and as I headed to the regular line, the cashier called me over to check out in the express lane. I asked her, "Are you sure? I have a lot of items." "Yes, ma'am", was her reply. So I politely went to her checkout line. 

Well, everything was going fine until a customer got behind me with one item. Oops. I immediately felt guilty. I could tell she was upset at having to wait and was in a hurry to check out. I paid for my items and started to leave when the customer said, "Is this your meat?" I turned around to see that the cashier had failed to ring up my meat. I backed my cart up and apologized to the customer, to which she replied very curtly, "By the way, you do know that this is the "speedy lane" and you shouldn't even be checking out in this line, don't you?"

There it was, the comment that I was dreading but knew was coming due to her impatient stance and the glaring look on her face. My response to her was, "I know, but the cashier told me to come to this line."  I threw the blame back to the cashier, thanked her and then hurried out of the store. 

I started thinking about my reaction to my new "friend". I detest conflict and am usually like a hermit crab if confronted with it. I would rather go deep inside my shell and not face the issue than deal with it head on. I raced out of the store as fast as I could. I was embarressed and wanted to be in the comfort of my car. After the incident, I asked myself these questions:

1. Was I kind to someone who was not kind to me?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, cloth yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience". Colossians 3:12

2. Was she having a bad day?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us  in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 1 Corinthins 1:3-4

4. Should I have placed the blame on the cashier? 

"Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor. Psalm 15:3 The Message

Shouldn't I be handling myself with grace every time this type of situation arises? Yes, I should! Just because someone is rude to me does not give me the right to be rude back. I think, all in all, when faced with a situation that causes discomfort, it should always be handled with humility and grace. Be a reflection of God's love in all circumstances, and then smile and nod, because, " A cheerful look brings joy to the heart". Proverbs 15:30