Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Lorraine at WalMart

Sometimes my fast food stories don't even happen at fast food establishments.

One day awhile back I had to return an item to our local WalMart. This is quite an ordeal, at least to me. First you have to collect your item and your receipt for the item. Then when you arrive at the store, you must speak to the door greeter. By the way, this is almost the only time that the door greeter will speak to you voluntarily. Never mind, if the shop lifter alarm goes off they will run to greet you as well.

Anyway, the door greeter will check your return item and cross reference it to the receipt that you have supplied. If it all passes muster the greeter will place a blank price sticker on your return item. This is to indicate that the greeter is doing his/her job, I guess.

The next step is to go to the customer service desk. After waiting in the line (there is always a line), you usually have to endure a series of questions to verify your worthiness for your exchange or refund. Finally, when you have passed this interview (sometimes it feels like the third degree), your issue can be resolved.

It was at this point in my exchange that Lorraine said something to me- something apart from the standard script. She said, "Are you a pastor, or something."

I don't get that question very often, at least not in the real world. The bad thing is that if you are a pastor, and someone asks you about it, you can't really deny it. I admitted my position and I asked her "What gave me away?"

"Oh," she said. "I have seen you reading your Bible in McDonald's several times. I knew that you had to be a minister."

I learned something that day. You are always on display. People are always watching where you are, what you are doing, and how you speak to others. I didn't know Lorraine before that day. Now I notice her and speak to her each time I am in her store. She may confide in my some day when she needs prayer of counsel. And who knows how many other people have noticed me? Who knows how many people have noticed you.

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