At first, my day played out nicely as lunch rolled around, time for a break. I drove into the parking lot at the burger, taco, and soda place after calling in an order for myself and my coworkers at the office. The stop should have gone faster, but I decided to go inside with a dozen cars in the drive-thru. After all, it seemed everyone was getting lunch at this fast-food restaurant. Once inside, it looked like the rest of the town stood at the counter like straws waiting for their drinks and meals. We were packed in like sardines; I inched closer to the cashier, slowly.
Finally, the girl grabbed the burgers and the tacos, three with lettuce and three without lettuce. She filled two paper cups with soda, and I asked for a few squirts of cherry in my cola. So she pumped red syrup from a nearby dispenser, and as she turned to me, the manager realized my soda drink had received pumps of sour cherry syrup, the kind used for iced slushy drinks. Out went the cola, and in with the new sweet cherry syrup.
I finally turned to the door, pushing through the crowd, balancing the two sacks while holding two super-duper plastic cups. A customer leaned on the wall by the front door, and he saw me coming his way. He reached for the handle, pulled on the bar, and tried to assist me. But, distracted by his giant super-sized tea sitting on the ledge beside the door, I tried to avoid hitting it with my burgers and tacos. It was too late; the momentum of my hungry gait sent my bag straight to his drink. It toppled over, and what seemed like a gallon of liquid puddled the small rail by the window, only in slow-motion to trickle in a stream to the tiled floor.
Before the customers moved out of the way, a massive lake of tea formed at their feet, and they looked at me. I didn’t have a mop, so I was confused. My rambunctious, hyper-ways had caused another mishap and everyone in the burger, taco, grab a soda place watched my attempt to reconcile the moment. This poor guy by the door had wanted his lunch until I got in his way.
With one bump-and-go incident, I’d turned my day into less than a perfect one. I was much like a wadded-up washcloth all used up, ready to be tossed aside. My countenance changed; I was mad at myself for causing commotion until I saw the smile on the face of the man beside the door, the gent with tea dripping onto his shoes. I had not ruined his day, after all. Now, I’ve heard myself recite Psalm 118:24 too many times to let this situation get the best of me, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I whispered it again and again. I needed to listen to myself and not let one sticky moment wash away my joy or ruin lunch.
That’s right; life gets messy. Sometimes it’s sticky. But even before I knock one more thing over, I want to thank God for this day, even if it’s not so perfect. And on days when I get in your way or knock over your drink, don’t let my actions rob you of your joy. Instead, remember the man who smiled at me, even amid the chaos, and his reaction revealed the way he handled the unexpected. It’s like he counted it all joy.
So yes, I want to keep my smile and have the best day of my life, no matter what sour things pour into my day, too. The revelation of knowing Jesus loves me, despite my behavior, despite my mishaps, despite my sour thoughts, will keep me smiling. Besides, all we have is now. All we have is this moment. So let’s have some tea. Or a cherry coke. It’s on me. But don’t let me get too close because you may need to clean up after I come tumbling into your path. But don’t worry, I carry paper towels most of the time in my car.