Stress: How Do You Respond?

Tweet: Panera on Gull Road is awesome! If you're in Kalamazoo, you should eat there today!

I walked into Panera this morning with the intention of buying 36 bagels and coffee for 25 people. This was for the Community Youth Link (awesome group of area youth workers) Christmas party that we host at gracespring (my church) every year.

I walk up to the counter and ask a very nice lady in her late 20s for 36 assorted bagels and cream cheese to go with them. She begins to work on my order right away. She was quickly, but properly, grabbing bagels and putting them through the slicer as fast as she could and placing them into three bags designed to hold 12 bagels each. I was impressed by her efficiency.

While she was doing that another lady came up to the register and asked if I need anything else. I told her that I needed coffee for 25 people. She clearly wasn’t listening to what I said because she walked away and came back with a fruit ring pastry. Don’t get me wrong, that pastry ring is amazing…but it’s not coffee. She then asked if I needed anything else, before telling her I didn’t need the pastry ring I told her again that I needed coffee for 25 people. Then it happened. She looked at me and said, “Sir, that’s going to take at least ten minutes.”

I replied, “Oh that’s ok. I’ve got time.”

She said, “You know sir, we don’t mind you walking in and placing a big order like this, but it’d be nice if you called ahead.”

I replied, “I’m really sorry, I’ll make sure to do that next time.”

The first lady continued to work on my order without skipping a beat. She handed me three bags of bagels with a smile and said, “Here you go!”

I thanked her and took them out to my car. I walked back in and waited for my coffee and pastry ring (no way I was bringing that up at this point). While I was waiting, the first lady continued to do her job with a smile and even thanked me again as I walked out with my coffee. The second lady carried her negative attitude over to the next few customers. She was short with them, interrupted them while they were asking questions, and her body language communicated displeasure in an obvious way.

Two totally different responses to the same situation.

Now I’ve worked in fast food and I have responded both ways to similar situations. I was never upset with the second ladies response. I understood her displeasure. I even agreed with her that I should have called ahead. But, this did remind me of how important our responses are. Especially for followers of Christ.

When someone comes into our lives, walks into our church, or encounters us at work we have a responsibility to respond to them just as Jesus would. Having a bad day – don’t take it out on them. Feeling depressed – it’s not their fault. Want to be lazy – they just want someone to care. Don’t want to feel uncomfortable and alone – neither do they.

 “So now I am giving you a new command: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” – Jesus

We are called to always respond to others with genuine love and care for them, just like He did.