The Peace in Patience

It has been a hectic time at work lately. We’ve been trying to push our way through a mountain of work at a breakneck pace. So far, we’ve been able to do this, but I’m often fighting fleeting flights of anxiety.

It makes it challenging, but what is growth other than challenges learned from? Right?

The Story

Every weekday, I pick my 5-year-old daughter up from school and we do lunch together.

Sometimes, lunch is at home. Other times, we go to the mall or something and hang out for that hour.

Well, this time, the mall was calling our name. Chick-fil-a, in fact. That’s my daughter’s favorite, and who can blame her?

That chicken is on point!

After gathering her meal, we walked over to the Chinese place to get my food. I normally get half steamed white rice, half steamed veggies, and then a couple of chicken variations.

Don’t let the rice and veggies fool you, though. I’m still gaining weight as I continue to struggle with the transition from waiting tables and blazing through 12-15k steps per shift, to sitting at my desk and not wanting to get up and move.

Anyway. I digress.

I tell the employee my order as they box everything up. I thank them, and then I wait in line to pay.

There’s someone ahead of me paying already. A man, who looked to be anywhere from my age to forty years. I’m not sure.

He was dressed casually and in the modern sense. Baggier clothes, hat on slightly cocked to the side. Just a regular, laid-back guy, I guess.

He was taking a while, but my daughter and I just sat there hanging out and talking to one another.

Then, the guy, still with his head down collecting his things, said to me, “Man, I’m so sorry I’m taking a long time and holding you up.”

Or something like that.

I laughed, and looked him straight in the eye and began to say something, but then realized that I need to say something first:

“First, I want to let you know that what I’m going to say is not sarcastic at all, because I realize some people might think it is, but I want you to know it’s the truth.”

I looked at the cashier and then back at him and said,

“It is an absolute pleasure for me to wait on you. And I mean that. It’s my pleasure.”

He laughed, and said, “Hey, I hear you, man. Hanging out with your daughter? I feel you, man!”

We laughed and finished our conversation, and then my daughter and I went to sit down and eat our lunch.

About 15 minutes later, the man returned. I didn’t even see him, and all of a sudden I heard someone talking, saying, “Hey, man. I just wanted to come over here and speak blessings over your life. You’re doing the right thing,” he said, “and I just wanted to speak blessings over your life.”

Again. I’m not a memory buff. So, that’s the best I can do. I’m sure that’s not word-for-word, nor all that was said, but it gets to the heart of it.

We spoke again briefly, and then I told him to be blessed. And that was it.

I was somewhat shocked. I didn’t expect him to come back over and say anything. He certainly didn’t have to. So, why did he?

I think it’s because, in a world where people choose to be impatient and choose to move at the speed of light, I was motivated to slow down.

I was motivated to be happy.

I was motivated to be positive.

And I was motivated to not only see, but feel the value in, what waiting patiently can do.

When I walked away from our first conversation, I felt like I was the lucky one. To be able to actually FEEL disconnected from the stress, the anxiety, and the rush was incredible. I was at peace just enjoying life with my daughter.

And yet, he came back to speak blessings over my life.

How powerful is that?

So, what’s the moral of the story? I don’t really know that there is one. That’s up to you, I guess.

If I had to say it, though, it would be this:

Slow down. Both for yourself and everyone around you. Find joy in the peace that comes from waiting patiently. Because trust me, there is immense joy to be found in it.

And when you do that, especially for other people, I think that they get a little bit of that joy. They can see it. They can feel it.

It’s different, and they become aware of that, and maybe it helps them have a better day.

As a Christian, I believe that speaking life, spreading joy, and showing love and compassion for those around us are some of the best, simple gifts you can give day-to-day.

We should do it more.

So, slow down. Please. Don’t allow the pressures of the lightspeed world to make you feel like you can’t just let go sometimes.

Let it all go, and give in to the peace that awaits you. I promise you that you won’t regret it, and who knows?

You might just be rewarded again with kind words from a random stranger.