“Get A Real Job!” (05/29/2026)

I was at Kwik Trip, again. I went in for a bag of mac and cheese to make my casserole. I left with a better understanding of what behaving poorly looks like. A man at the check-out had his credit card denied. It wasn’t the clerk’s fault. But he took it out on her. He took his card and as he huffed out, he shouted so everyone in the store could hear, “Why don’t you get a real job?” 

I was next in line. What would I say? What could I say? I walked up, put my purchase on the counter and said, “Hi, Darcy. How are you today?” Instantly her face relaxed. She smiled and simply said, “Getting better.”

When I got to the car, before I took off, I said a little prayer for the clerks at Kwik Trip who get to deal with pretty much everything from sweet to rude to the third power, with people in a hurry and people who act like they are alone in the world, no rush. They serve youth and the elderly, people from every state in the Union and beyond our shores. They get truck drivers, mini-van moms, sportsters, skateboarders and foot traffic. I prayed, too, for the young man who took his anger and frustration out on an undeserving clerk. I prayed that his life would get better and that it would start with his behavior getting better.

Then, that night, as I pondered my day and the lessons the LORD sewed within the folds of it, I remembered the episode of Kwik Trip. I begged the LORD’s mercy for those times when I have taken my disappointment or anger out on another who had nothing to do with it except being there when it got too much to contain. And I asked again for the Spirit’s guidance in my life and grace to live it wiser and more lovingly. I asked for the vision to see better into the difficult times especially when I am the cause.

As we make our journeys in faith, let us be buoyed by hope in the love and presence of our LORD who does not disappoint. Let us seek daily to journey, fueled by love for the LORD and one another. Let us remain open to the truth that we will err and that will be able to not only own our errors but turn. And may we daily seek to live our Savior’s words and treat one another as we so desperately desire to be treated ourselves.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.