Everyone Has A Story

Hi,
I recently had a less than pleasant encounter...due to me...with a Walgreens employee and there was a lessoned to be learned from it. God has been impressing on me to share what He is trying to teach me through it.
As I mentioned in the previous blog, I haven't been venturing out too much, and definitely not solo. A little bit ago though I left Selah and Spencer home napping while I decided I'd "hurry" to Walgreens to try to print some of the pictures we got taken. So, I am on a "mission" and intending to get to Walgreens and to be uninterrupted so I can decide which pictures and sizes I want to print...and then to get home with my mission accomplished. I make it there ready and armed with my memory card, flashdrive, and CD. I hurriedly walk to the back of the store to the picture kiosk. I start but quickly realize that the kiosk will not accept my flash drive...first "hitch" in my plan. I then try my memory card and it will not stay in the slot...I checked to make sure it was the correct one...second hitch in my plan. My frustration is starting to increase...my time is being wasted I think to myself. I quickly move over to the other kiosk...before anyone decides to get on it. I see it also won't accept my USB but it will take and hold my memory card and CD...not a complete success but it will have to do. So, I get my pictures loaded and prep to pick out the sizes and pictures I want...all while I am glancing at my clock repeatedly to see how I'm doing on time. I begin looking at my pictures and have a sense of relief, since my mission is becoming a success...or so I think. A Walgreens employee, who works in the picture department, walks by and I ask her a question about packages and sizes. She looks up at the kiosk and my pictures and immediately says that I cannot print my pictures. SAY WHAT...now here's where I am ashamed to say that I was less than considerate. She proceeds to calmly explain that the pictures appear professional and that they have to have a copyright statement in hand from the person that took them saying they "release" the pictures to me to print. ....ok, stay with me :)
Now I have to make a reference to a term that we commonly use and more often than not applies to me...NASTY...My first year in the school system I was assigned to the cafeteria for morning breakfast duty...with junior high age to add to that. Now this early in the morning the kiddos are not pleasant to begin with. Add to that...they were expected to come in silently and remain silent while eating quickly and getting to class...yeah right! So, every morning the same group would give me trouble and one day I told a "repeat offender" to sit down and keep her mouth shut or to throw her breakfast away and to head to class. She proceeded to stand up, place her hand on her hip, and to cock her head to the side in a sassy way, and she exclaimes...with attitude..."you're so nasty." Now, I was not dirty, stinky, etc. so I don't believe she meant nasty like that :). She meant I was rude and putting a cramp in her style, so to speak. Well, I came home and told Spencer that and my family and the term has stuck. So, as I mentioned earlier, I'm often told by Spencer or my family to "stop being nasty." Ok, now back to the Walgreens story...
So, Walgreens gal...I know her name but will keep it confidential...proceeds to explain the copyright information. I don't even let her finish before I began rudely interuppting her by exclaiming that these pictures were taken in my home, on my "freaking"...yes I said that...couch. I continued to loudly exclaim that I don't ever get out and that I actually have time and they won't help me or let me print my pictures...all I want to do is print my pictures I exclaim. Wow, drama queen...to put it politely. Now Walgreens gal manages to remain calm and professional throught my rant...that is amazing! She lets me get it out and then says that I can pick the pictures out and print them and that they could hold them until I brought the copyright statement...get this...she then offers to help me pick out sizes and a package. I calm a little but am still extremely agitated. She helps me look at the pictures but the kiosk begans freezing and we have to "retry" loading the pictures three times...what hitch is this in my plan/mission...lost count. While we are waiting on the pictures to load she begins to ask about Selah and what all is going on with her. She then tells me about her son and some special needs and complications he has had. Now, despite having her identify some with me and having her willing to share her story, I am still wrapped up in what I want to do and only what I want to do and that is my mission. The kiosk continues to freeze and another customer comes up to the counter so she goes to assist them. I decide to just hang it up for the day and to leave...thinking to myself about all the wasted time I spent there. I do offer her a brief apology and thank you for her help but then I rush off...I don't have any more time to waste I think to myself. As I walk out I pass the manager and stop him to let him know that despite my rude behavior his Walgreens gal remained polite and professional. He looked at me a bit shocked and just responded "ok, cool." With my time at Walgreens being more than exceeded I hurriedly head out the door and jump into my vehicle....now for the lesson...
I get into my vehicle and start it up. My radio was turned up and tuned to K-Love...a Christian radio station. The guy was finishing up what he was saying but the last bit of his words spoke SO loudly and stuck out...he said that everyone has some sort of trial and story and you never know what they may be going through so..."be kind to everyone you meet"...OUCH...WOW!!! God spoke and boy did I feel awful, filthy...who did I think I was and how do I think I have the right to act in the way I did. I asked God to forgive me and only by HIS grace did He continue to speak...it's not my time, my mission, my purpose that is important. What if the whole purpose in me going into Walgreens that day was to meet Walgreens gal...to invest time in her and her story and to share mine with her...to share the hope and peace I have and why I have it. What if this was a "divine appointment" that I missed out and totally blew just because I wasn't aware...available...approachable....
Ok, so I hope and pray that the lesson I learned and am still learning makes sense???? I hate to even share this because I can be so NASTY...so imperfect. Thankfully God does teach and in His grace does try to refine us along the way, through each of these experiences...oh how I need it...

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer" Psalm 19:14