Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXCVII

From time to time I am asked to be a guest speaker (teacher) for a class at church. When that happens, I usually like to throw in a little humor just to keep the class interesting and to prevent too many minds from wondering. Such was the case when I was asked to be a guest speaker for a Wednesday night class on March 24, 2010. I put in a lot of work for that one, and judging from the number of compliments I received, I must have done an okay job. It was one of those nights when I felt like I really connected with the class. They genuinely laughed at all my jokes, and on the serious parts, it was obvious I had everyone's attention. Considering the circumstances, I would call it a miracle. I'll never forget when prayer requests were taken at the beginning of the class, I requested prayer for "something that was weighing heavy on my mind." I had walked into the room that evening feeling a mixture of joy and heartache. The joy came from the birth of my granddaughter that morning, while the heartache came from the news that she had all the signs of a child with Down Syndrome. (We have since discovered that Down Syndrome is not really all that bad, but at the time, that news was devastating.) One of my favorite towns that I visit as a part of my job is Magnolia, Arkansas, and that's because of the people I work with when I'm there. The owner of the business is a young lady named Rebecca, and she is always one of the most pleasant customers I have, which makes me want to make sure I make her experience as pleasant as possible as well. I remember going there one day during a time when I was facing some personal issues that had me feeling distraught, and I tried so hard to put on a happy face so no one would there, especially Rebecca, would have any idea how I was feeling inside. I think I pulled it off pretty well, and I'm hoping when she reads this article it will be the first time she has any idea that my stomach was in knots during my visit. I know she would've understood if I had let her know what was going on, but sometimes we just don't need to mix business with personal problems. It makes me wonder if there have ever been times when I was there that it was her who was masking inner pain. Sometimes we just can't let our feelings show. Think about it. I come from a family of preachers, and I know just from what they've told me that there have been times when they have stood before their congregations to preach a message of encouragement, while their minds were in utter turmoil. None of us are immune to heartbreak and inner pain, but most of us have times when we just can't let it show or even affect our actions. How many times has the surgeon scrubbed up and gone into surgery while his heart felt like it was torn in two? Or what about the anesthetist who is dispensing the drug to put the patient under during surgery while she fights to hold back tears, or the mental turmoil of the pharmacist who is measuring the proper amount of medicine to a customer whose life is on the line? I've heard stories about how Lou Costello, the famous member of the comedy team Abbot and Costello from the 1940s, was dealing with tragic family issues while he was traveling the country telling jokes that still have people laughing. And of course, there are guys like me who have to make the sale no matter how I'm feeling, and the waitress who is smiling at all her customers while her home life is a wreck. The bottom line is, we just don't always know when someone we're dealing with is trying hard to hold their emotions in check until they get home from work. I admit there are times when maybe I've been a little harsh as I demanded better service from someone who may have been going through something much worse than I've ever had to face. I wonder if maybe I've expected too much from someone whose life is in shambles, or maybe even held back a tip from someone who is already distraught over her financial situation. Maybe I should just give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Actually, it might be a good idea for me to do unto others as I would have them do unto me. Preston