Shifting the atmosphere

I stood at the post office the other day with several boxes in hand. The line was 15 people long, all socially distanced, just far enough apart to limit conversations. Of course, we were masked, and it was silent, like being in an elevator. I was about halfway back in the line, resting my three boxes on a lane divider, when I noticed that the only voices heard in the whole place were the two women working the registers. They had quite a job, too: weigh each package, check each address, tape edges down, ask the proper packing questions ("What delivery options where needed? Would you like any stamps? Cash or credit?"), and answering any question the customers had, as well. One dear older lady had many questions. The line moved slowly.

It was Christmas, and all those in line with me were wishing they were somewhere else. Their eyes above their masks told the story. I decided to be different.

One lady at the register seemed to be a grandmother and was quite pleasant as she quickly greeted and began to process my packages. “How are you doing today, Delores?” I asked, noticing her name tag.

“Just fine, so far, it’s busy,” she said.

“You sure have a lot of operations to cover,” I said.

“Yep, got to make sure these packages get to the right places.”

“You’re doing a great job!” I said. “I’ve been watching both of you while standing in line.” She looked up, smiled and thanked me. “Is this the right address, sir?” she asked. “Yes, thank you. How long have you been working today?”

“I opened today,” she said. It was early afternoon, so I said, “Wow, is it always this busy?” She answered, “It’s the holidays.”

I glanced at the line, seeing now that people were listening to our conversation. “How do you stay so positive with it all?” She said, “Patience and prayer, I guess.” “A lot of prayer I bet,” I said.

We moved more warmly through my next few boxes; she told me of her grandson, to whom she wanted to give a sweatshirt for Christmas. She really liked the one I was wearing, but I had no idea where it came from, probably a gift from last year. She moved fast, but we laughed and traded smiles.

When all was finished, I again said, “You all are doing a great job, Merry Christmas!” and turned to leave. I could see all the eyes in the line were on me, and as I passed by, I spoke to everyone in the line saying, “These women are doing a great job, Merry Christmas.” To which nearly everyone smiled and nodded their heads. Though all were still silent, somehow the mood changed.

As I got in the car thinking about it all, I sensed the Lord say, “You changed the atmosphere,” and it was true. The felt presence of encouragement shifted things.

If ever there was a time to shift atmospheres, it would be now. Wonderfully, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the greatest atmosphere architect ever.

What atmosphere are you charged to shift in this season?