That’s Not Right

A Thanksgiving Observation to consider.

With Thanksgiving just 3 days away, something happened at the bank on Monday which had a profound impact on me. It was very crowded and my branch is doing major remodeling, but they are still open for dusty business. The wait was excessively long with only one teller and some lengthy transactions ahead of me. The line grew longer by the minute.

The bank manager approached to see if he could speed things up when a bitter elderly gentleman at the end of the line became quite vocal. He had just arrived so his wait was the shortest of anyone. He demanded extra tellers be dispatched immediately to speed up the line since he was in a hurry and didn’t have time to wait like “all the rest with nothing to do.”

Magically, another teller appeared at that moment; she had been scheduled anyway. Like a scene out of a movie, this fellow stepped up to the teller window ahead of everyone else, slapped his paperwork down on the counter and demanded with a glare on his face and an intimidating tone in his angry voice that his transaction be handled immediately. This demon possessed old geezer turned to the rest of us and defiantly issued a challenge, “You snooze, you lose!”

The teller reacted in the most professional way imaginable; she took the transaction and with a huge smile laid it down to the side and said “Oh yes sir! I’ll get to you just as soon as possible. I can help the next person in line, please.” Infuriated our bully demanded his transaction be returned and stormed out mumbling obscenities amidst cheers from the crowd.

In fact, we were all in a hurry and none of us wanted to wait. We realized however, that we were no more important than the mom with her two teenage daughters out of school for the holiday, or the restaurant owner needing change for the day with staff and customers waiting, or me with a very full plate and already running behind. Every year we talk about having the Christmas Spirit and putting the other person first. Maybe this year we actually do it and not just for the holidays, but a little bit longer. Because wherever you go, there you are.

Here is my inspiration for this message.

Luke 22:24–26 Message Bible

Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It's not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.”