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Convicting Shades of Gray
By Jennifer McClure | March 27, 2008
Short and slightly hunched, the man in front of me appeared to be in his 50s. Unkempt gray hair wisped about his head. A plaid flannel shirt that once held color was faded to gray — so much so it almost looked dusty. But even grayer than his hair or shirt was the air about him, as if a cloud of depression hung low like a fog.
Though I pretended to be interested in the magazine covers and candy bars that flanked me, I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation just a few feet from me.
During the few minutes it took to complete his transaction, the cashier asked if he was still homeless, how the medical tests were coming and when he’d get to go home. For some reason he had been kept in our city due to medical tests though he resides many miles south in a neighboring state.
At this store, I’ve found it not unusual for cashiers to know tidbits about their regular customers. Though I am a not a regular at the establishment — actually, I try to avoid it — I occasionally stop there when it’s on my way and I have just a few items to pick up. Being located in a run-down area of town, there are people hanging out in and around the store who make me, a young professional, feel less than comfortable.
But that day in line, I witnessed a cashier willingly share in a stranger’s heavy, gloomy cloud as she expressed genuine interest in his life. She made final attempts at piercing the man’s gray air with rays of hope as she extended best wishes. Certainly he must have appreciated her open ear and encouraging words. I only wonder how her words changed him.
As I pushed my shopping cart out of the store, I saw the man, now sitting outside on a bench. He gazed aimlessly back into the store through the glass panes. His eyes seemed gray, lacking any spark and searching for hope.
Accompanied by the rattling of the cart, I cross the parking lot to my car and dutifully loaded my bags into it.
Topics: Devotional |
