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I have a riddle for you. How do you ruin the day of a bus driver? Give her a $20 bill on a rainy morning when one other person did the same a few stops earlier.
This moring it was raining buckets, cats & dogs, sideways. The weather was not optimal for public transportation, nor was it optimal for walking. I walked to the bus stop, and I had a $20. I smiled, said good morning and attempted to give my normally jovial bus driver my $20. She looked at me, shook her head and said, “I don’t know where you think you’re gonna get change for that. I don’t have no change.” I didn’t know how to respond, so I said, “OK,” and sat down behind her. Then she told me that I had to relinquish my money. Or “You know you have to give me that money ’til I get change, right?” I gave her the money and she and another passenger talked about how they couldn’t believe that people would try to pass off a big bill. I was…furious. Eventually she got change and we parted not enemies. Though I am tempted to give her a $20 everyday for the rest of my time. But I won’t. I will give small bills.
This morning I was listening to one of Mark Batterson’s podcasts in which he challenged NCC to be not a church of 1000 people but a church of 1000 prophets. He also mentioned that Jewish people in the Old Testament (and the NT) saw being prophetic as being encouraging. I took those words to heart today and the tone of the office changed.
OK. Next week I need your help. If you are in the Philadelphia area. Please come into the city and have lunch with me. Please, please, please! My whole office is going out of town on a business trip, and I’m going to be alone in the office. I would love to have my friends experience the wonderful food in Rittenhouse Square. And I will relish the human interaction. I mean, seeing the cleaning guy twice a day will be a thrill, but….yeah. So, let me know when you are available, Tuesday through Friday.
Our office now, for the most part, operates on Nextel. We can direct connect. It was like the boys had new toys. One of them even direct connected me this evening. Not sure if it was intentional, but life is going to be interesting.
Tomorrow I get my hair cut. I am so excited. Then I’m having dinner with two of my favorite people in the world. It is amazing to be back in the adult world, having a job and getting a paycheck. Now when I get a car I’ll think I’ve arrived.
Deneen White 