A Chilled Spiritual Virtue
It happened again. We were “patiently” waiting in line (at Walmart this time) to purchase some much needed chemicals for the swimming pool. Finally the time came and we were third in the cue. This is when the commotion started.
The person currently being assisted finished paying for his purchases. The cashier closed the drawer before giving the man his change. A conversation ensued about how the man was going to receive his change. The cashier, calling for a manager, explained that once the register drawer was closed upon completing a transaction it could only be opened by a manager with a key or by completing another transaction.
Since it was very busy and a manager had not yet responded, the quick thinking cashier decided to ring up the purchases of the next person (the person in front of us). “You mean I have to wait for you to ring her up?” the man disgustedly asked. “Yes Sir” came the very polite reply. This was not sitting well with the impatient customer who began to insult the cashier with a couple of derogatory names. He then demanded the cashier give him his change from his own pocket and take the money for himself out of the register when the drawer opened. The cashier, again very politely, tried to explain how that wouldn’t work.
The cashier finished the transaction with the lady in front of us and behind grouchy. We all waited like trained monkeys for that register drawer to chime and slide open. The drawer slid open and the cashier reached into the tray and gave Mr. Grumpy Pants two cents. That‚Äôs right, Se?±or Crabby made a scene and a spectacle of himself over two cents.
I said to myself (out loud) “Two-cents? Are you kidding me this was all about two-cents?” The lady in front of us, with the front row view to all of this, said: “I was getting ready to give him the money myself but then when he started acting so ugly I decided it was a matter of principle and he had to wait.” You go girl!
I’ve been thinking about that incident and thinking about how many times I get all worked up over “two-cent transactions.” Do you know what I’m talking about? Those minor annoyances which confront us daily? They are minor, they are annoyances and we often act like such morons (I mean that in the kindest way possible) in the midst of these two-cent transactions.
Growing in Christ means growing in patience, kindness and grace. Patience to endure, kindness to behave appropriately and grace to let go. Peter, who knew a thing or two about two-cent transactions, said it this way:
2 Peter 1:5-8 (NCV) Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To that I would add the virtue of “chilling out!” If we make such a fuss over the two-cent transactions no one will ever take us seriously when it really matters.
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Sorry I had to delete my first comment, but I dropped some pocket change under the computer desk and went into a fit of rage!
Seriously, just when I think I’ve got this whole self-control / patience thing down, I have to drive out here in this Los Angeles traffic!
Aren’t most things we blow up over, when put into perspective, basically a two-cents tantrum?
Wow…
You have no idea how appropriate your blog was.
Scary.
I agree with the stoogemeister. Most of my two-cent transactions take place in traffic. Because, you see, it’s very important to be FIRST!!!
Two centimes transactions. I like that.
I experienced two of those yesterday. One was in the restaurant with 20 people and the poor waitress that had to put up with us. She was in over her head, but the people we were with were gracious.
The other was getting off the train in Lausanne. I was third in line (is this a sign?) carrying an overloaded backpack. Number 1 in line was a woman clutching to her chest a styrofoam box all taped up. I think it had a donor’s heart in it. With her right hand, she was pulling a HUGE suitcase. She could not get it off the train, and the healthy man behind her did not move a muscle. So I told him to give her a hand just before the suitcase dislodged and landed on the train platform. I asked the man, “What were you waiting for?” Maybe, a life‚Ķ
Two centime transactions may be the way to take the temperature of the heart. A heart that should “chill out”, as you said.
Good post.
This is especially a problem in DC. I have taken it upon myself to give up Honking as my spiritual sacrifice. I encorage you to give it a try. Make a personal committemnt NOT to honk your horn for at least one year unless it is necessary to protect life or property. This silly game has actually taught me a real spiritual lesson about patience and sel-control
A very thoughtful post by Randy. With a little patience one would invariably realize that most fits of pique are really not worth it.
I’m late getting my “two cents worth” in on this one. I can’t really add much except hearty agreement. I often handle the big problems of life better than I do little things. You know, like towels being put back on the rack in the bathroom crooked or “grains of sand in my shoes.”