Significant nothings

In Thursday night Bible study, we are studying “authenticity”. One of the early messages that came from the lesson is to “look for God in others”.

Now, this is something I actually try to do on a daily basis, and my honesty in attempting it is revealed by how many times I catch myself NOT doing it. As a result of the study, however, I am trying to do it more and more.

God has blessed me with a sympathetic ear, with a large sign over it. I like to listen, and I like to help, those whom I call and who call me friend. However, God often puts me in the position of total strangers unloading their concerns on me, and sometimes, they just unload stuff on me.

This happened to me last Friday.

I had stepped outside the front of our main building with the department’s digital camera. I was hoping to get some candid shots of some of our clients gathered outside for a recreational event. It was just after 2pm, and the event was wrapping up. I picked that moment because I knew their momentum would still be high, but I wouldn’t be interrupting the formal activity.

I paused at the corner of our building to look over the gathering some hundred yards away, deciding my best approach, etc. A woman leaving our building and walking to her car paused behind me. “Oh to be playing outside on a day like this”

Small talk. I’m all for small talk, especially with our customers. It seemed a shallow and innocent enough remark. I responded with “Yeah, I wish we had ‘recess’ and naptimes, too”

That seemed innocent enough. I acknowledged her point, supported it with my own views, and left it at that. I expected her to continue on her way, and I’d go down the hill to the gathering and take a few quick pictures.

I expected wrong.

The woman proceeded to talk.

Not just talk, but she rambled.

Not content with rambling, she never gave a break point, or a transition point. The most she ever did was end a paragraph with a “ya know?”, to which I could only nod and say “sure, but…” before she continued on with some new tangent.

I mentioned recess, and that brought up her children. She told me all about them. About how she tried to spend time at their schools, be a good volunteer. About how she even drove a bus for a year. About how the students loved her. About seeing one of those students years later. About his wife. About her marriage. About her husband. About her husband’s family. About their ethnicity. About her ethnicity. About the longevity of her parents. About how her mother had died. About how her children had reacted to the funeral. About having to leave now to go to one of her children’s schools to meet with the principal because in art class he made a gun out of clay and was “bang! Bang!” ing at people. About her being firm about these things. About how she raised her children well. About time she left.

About time she left, I turned back to the gathering, to see that it was all but abandoned. I had gone out at the end so not to disrupt, and instead was myself disrupted.

I sighed, and started chewing my frustration. The pictures were not critical. They were just publicity shots, and I could get different pictures on a different day. No big deal. But, on the other hand – this woman had no point! She didn’t need to tell me all of this? Why did she pick me, God? Why do you do this to me? I mean, its different if I didn’t have anything to do? But I was on a mission? Why didn’t He send someone to rescue me?

I grudged back into my office, miffed, but good-natured about it. I started to tell our secretary about the whole thing, using an incredulous tone. I just couldn’t believe that just happened!

As i started, she cut me off. “You are back already? Because the boss just asked if you had left to go get the pictures…”

Just left? I turned white, with steam… WHAT TIME WAS IT??!! I rushed back to my desk… 2:32 pm. THE WOMAN HAD TALKED ABOUT NOTHING TO A STRANGER FOR HALF AN HOUR!!!

NOW I WAS LATE!!!

I was late to an IMPORTANT photo shoot. One of our staff was being recognized at a ceremony across town. I stomp out of my office – quickly – and hop in my car.

I am grumbling big time now. I won’t make it there until at least 2:45, if nobody gets in my way and all the lights are green. The recognition was supposed to be a surprise, so it will probably already be over by the time I get there….

I am trying so hard to stay calm in the car. I am trying to come up with all these ways of explaining to my boss why I missed the picture. I am praying, asking God to calm me…”You are in charge, Lord. You must have done this for a reason. What could possibly have been important enough about her ramblings to make me miss this shot, I’ll never know… but, You are in charge.”

I managed to walk into the building looking somewhat calm.

I heard the crowd rumbling in the assembly hall.

I snuck into the back.

I heard the reporter (who is presenting the award) just start her monologue.

Well, how about that?! I haven’t missed anything!!!

I managed to get some great shots of our employee’s surprise, and candid shots of her with the client who submitted her for the award. The photoshoot was a great success.

Obviously, I was quite humbled, and happy, as I left. I drove back much more slowly, and used the time to reflect and to praise God for his farsightedness, and to apologize for my own short-sightedness. Yes, the woman’s ramblings had nothing to do with me. But it meant something to God, and he managed to accomplish both objectives – mine and hers, without a glitch.

It served as a good reminder, and an object lesson I can easily remember and carry with me, that God truly is in charge, and as long as I set my feet to His path, He will lead me to green pastures.

And, to look closer for God in others. If I can’t see it, maybe its because God is in me. I am very grateful now, that I did take the time to listen to the woman. I have no idea what it did for her, and it doesn’t matter. God chose to put me there at that moment, for that purpose, and that’s good enough for me.