Good morning and welcome to the final Saturday of September. We had an incredible night of worship at the church last night. Omar and the team did a fantastic job leading us. It was such a blessing to gather together and just spend time worshipping the Lord. What a respite from the crazy and hectic world in which we live.
The other morning I needed something from the store next door. As I made my way to that purveyor of fine merchandise, I noticed the two associates out on the sidewalk in front having a smoke break. While it is not unusual for someone to be out there smoking, it is unusual for two people to be there since it seems that most of the time the store operates with only one staff member at a time. As I made by way to their tobacco incineration party, I greeted them and, of course, got no response. Which, by the way, has become the norm in our society. It doesn’t seem to matter where you are at, people will often completely ignore you when you say hi to them. Anyways, I opened the door and walked in. Much to my surprise, one of the associates followed me in. I was thinking this was a good thing since I was grabbing one item near the front, and it was only going to take me 20 seconds. However, my optimism soon faded. She didn’t follow me into the store to assist me, nor was it to make sure I wasn’t shoplifting. Rather, she had forgotten to take her phone on her smoke break. As I walked toward the register with my singular item in hand she was walking back out the door to finish her cigarette and check her messages on her phone. I stood there at the register awkwardly waiting, all the while watching them just outside the glass not caring that a customer was inside. Actually, more than one. Soon, there were a couple of us waiting to check out. As I stood there debating whether I should just leave or guess the amount of tax and put the money on the counter, one of the clerks came in. Seeming a bit perturbed that we had the audacity to come into the store during the hours of operation and purchase something, she rang us up. I walked out the store with my item that cost $ 1.10. (next time I know how much to leave). I walked through the cloud of smoke lingering in the air, past the other clerk who was still on break and looking at her phone, and made my way back to the church. It left me wondering what in the world has happened to customer service in our world.
But just when I was about to give up hope on all of humanity, I had a totally different experience on Friday. I was out in Columbia and needed to get gas. I remembered on our route that there was an old-school looking Sinclair station on one of the corners. I pulled up to the pump and, before I could get out of the van, a young man was standing next to my door. I rolled down the window and, much to my surprise, he asked if I needed gas. Of course, that is the primary reason why I stop at a gas station but, overlooking the obvious, don’t miss the implication of his question. He was asking because he was going to pump the gas. As he began filling up the tank I asked him about the station. He shared with me that they were still a full-service station. Likely, one of the few left in the Midwest. He was very pleasant to visit with and he even washed the windows. It took me back to the days when that was the norm. I remember when the self-serve stations took over. My mom would drive around until she found a full-service station because that was the way it was supposed to be. It didn’t matter that she had sons that could pump the gas, it was a matter of principle. As the young man was taking care of our van another car pulled up. In a blink of an eye, a young lady emerged from the station and began assisting that customer. Apparently, they also needed the air checked in their tires. Soon, she dragged the air hose across the lot and added a little air to one of the tires that was a bit low. Overall, it was quite a pleasant experience for being at a gas station. It was a reminder of what good customer service should be like. And, I might add, the gas was the same price as the station down the street that was only self-serve.
One thing that is worth considering is how we serve others around us. Obviously, as Christians, we are not in the customer service business. However, we are called to serve. In fact, our lives are to be given in service for our Lord. Not just Sunday mornings or whenever the church gathers, but every day of our lives. From the Bible we learn about going the extra mile, how Jesus came not to be served but to serve, how we are to do things as unto the Lord, and being reminded it is the Lord we are serving. From time to time it is probably worth reflecting upon how we are doing with that. Which one of the scenarios above more accurately describes us this past week?
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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