"Have a blessed day!"
Those four words is all it takes to make someone feel good. Or at least, that's what happened to me.
While driving to Pennsylvania to see my girlfriend last night, on Valentine's Day, I came to the Exit 6 toll plaza (PA Turnpike/Florence). Since I'm still pretty "old school" I don't use EZ Pass. Therefore, I often have brief 10 second conversations with the toll plaza attendant. Sometimes they're humorous and other times it's just about the weather. Most of the time, we don't even speak to each other.
But yesterday, the woman who was working the booth I drove up to had the rights word to say to make me feel uplifted.
I don't know why but driving yesterday, I felt rushed and I felt uneasy. It had nothing to do with where I was headed but the fact that it was not my usual routine. I managed to make it to that toll booth though in a somewhat "decent" mood. I looked at the woman and like usual I said "Hi, how are you?"
She said, "Well hello there! Happy Valentine's Day!" I'll admit that I was taken off-guard and I can't remember if I wished her one back but I definitely lit up a little. While counting my change, she was upbeat and singing to herself, humming. Then she handed me my change and said, "You have a blessed day now, have a great night, goodnight," in the most upbeat, direct way. It was like God had carried me to her toll booth to revive my spirit.
What did this teach me?
This taught me that we must carry ourselves in an upbeat, positive manner wherever we go, and especially at work. I know it can be difficult to work and smile sometimes but the people who we work with and encounter while on the job depend on us. If that woman at the toll booth had not been so happy and full of joy, perhaps those funky thoughts wouldn't caught up to me.
We all have this opportunity, each day, to make someone else's day. We're all human beings and no job or title is more important than loving one another. Your job may not have made you rich, but you can make others feel rich depending on how you act.
I work at a bowling alley and while customers are often rude to me and disrespectful, I try to treat them well. Have I ever gotten carried away and snapped back at a customer? Have I presented a bad attitude while at work? Absolutely to both. Am I proud? No. Nobody is perfect and that's why it's even more vital that we be reminded that the way we act around others and treat other people is literally having an effect on them. The words I say, that come out of my mouth...they mean something. They will physically and spiritually effect another person. We must watch our attitude, our language, and our audience. A happy attitude will lead to a happy environment.
Philippians 2:14 tells us "Do all things without complaining or disputing."
That woman at the toll booth may wish she had another job that pays better. She may wish she didn't have to work on Valentine's Day so she could spend it with her significant other. Or maybe she wishes she had someone to share the day with. But I'll tell you this, her positive attitude gave me the encouragement I needed to stay away from those negative feelings. It picked me back up again. And I had an amazing, blessed night.
God bless, in Jesus' name.
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