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.
