When I look at the news and listen to people share stories, my mind gets stuck on the negative. I worry about the direction our world is headed. There is no doubt that changes have occurred since I was a little girl. Shootings were rare occurrences, and now we hear of people losing their lives when going to school, watching a movie in a theatre, going to work, or simply walking down the street.
It’s difficult to see the beauty and love sometimes. I won’t lie.
On Friday I drove from Chicago to South Dakota with my brother. We left right after I got home from work, and roughly three hours in, I handed him the wheel. We stopped for gas at 10:30 p.m., and I decided to get some coffee so that I could stay awake and keep my brother company.
When I brought my coffee to the counter, the cashier asked if all I had was the coffee. I said yes with a smile. “You are good,” she said. I looked at her puzzled. “You can go,” she said. I took my coffee and walked out the door.
I asked my brother if he had paid for my drink, and he said no. I am not sure if it was the cashier who decided to cover it, or the man who was in line in front of me. Either way, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty and love in this world.
Yes, there is evil. There is pain and sorrow.
But there is also grace and love and thoughtfulness.
My coffee would have cost $1.50. It isn’t that I saved a ton of money by receiving a free coffee: However, I did receive a reminder that God still prevails, that people are good, that this world is not only a depiction of what I see on the news.
I felt God’s love and grace on Friday night in a gas station, and I realized how plausible it is to share that love with others. I don’t need to go on a missions trip or spend a large sum of money. Maybe I just need to go to a gas station, spend a couple dollars, and remind people of the beauty this world still contains.
Thank you to the man or woman who provided me with some caffeine and a very warm heart. 🙂
The Graduate Adventures 