The Face of God

I frequent lots of coffee shops. It’s become a thing for me, even while I’ve never really acquired a taste for coffee, nor found the need for a caffeine kick. Nevertheless, it’s the meeting space that I enjoy, talking with the many I meet there, and some of the most important conversations are with those serving at the cash register.

John worked at Panera, at least he had for at least the last four years. When I found myself on that side of town, he was often the one waiting on me. Life must have been hard on him since he often seemed kind of grumpy. During the spring & summer, I tried to win him over with kindness, something that’s usually a strong suit for me. But, try as I might, the nut wouldn’t crack. Once, I caught him outside taking a smoke break. He was talking to himself and giving off an angry vibe. Walking past, I asked if everything was okay, and he simply rolled his eyes and turned away, very prickly, indeed. He wasn’t in a talking mood, at least not with me. Throughout the months, God repeatedly highlighted him to me for some reason, but all my attempts fell flat. I smiled and prayed anyway, if only under my breath or at my seat. Most of my times at bat are swings and misses.

During our School of Kingdom Ministry class at Northstar, I try to encourage us all to tell our own risk stories of blessing people in Jesus’ name. I had described how I’d been striking out with Mr. Grumpy the last months, and perhaps that sparked a few to seek out John for themselves. Several relayed meaningful interactions with him. 

One day while running errands, I had just left Kroger and decided to swing around the building to forgo an intersection and slip out back toward my barber appointment down the hill. Somehow, in the back parking lot, I spied a dollar bill near the curb, only it wasn’t a dollar, it was a $20! I jumped out, looking for someone who might have lost it, but I was all alone. Wow, Lord, that’s cool. What do You want me to do with this? I’ve had this running understanding with the Lord. If I ever find unexpected cash, I ask Him, “Is this for me or for someone else?” Jumping back into the car, I felt the Lord say, “It’s for Sharon.” Sharon is my barber.

"What do You want me to do with this, God?"

Well, that made my next errand more interesting. Opening the front door, and quickly sliding into my chair, Sharon buttoned the cape securely around my neck. “How ya doing, Sharon?” I asked. She looked tired. The shop had been short staffed since Covid, and both customers and employees were more on edge. I had logged several conversations over the years, so she shared easily. The present challenges were real. “People just aren’t that nice sometimes. I’m just glad to have a job,” she said. 

She finished my cut, lickity split, as I come with less and less hair these days. I looked her in the mirror and called out the gold I saw. “Sharon, you’ve done a great job with me today, and I know you are a professional person in all you do. I’m sorry that circumstances are hard right now, but I appreciate you and God loves you.” At that, she smiled, saying, “Now stop that, you’re gonna make me cry.”

I gave her a generous tip like I always do, but this time I got to do it differently. “Sharon, a few minutes ago I found a $20 in the parking lot and I asked God what to do with it. I felt Him say to give it to you.” I pulled out the additional $20 and said, “God sees you, Sharon. Can I pray for you?” Tears were flowing now, and even with customers waiting, she placed her hand in mine and I blessed her in Jesus’ name. I like endings like that, but they aren’t guaranteed. Being thankful is an action, being grateful is a feeling.

The last months I’ve stopped in at Panera, wanting to take another kindness crack at John, but I never found him working. Asking the manager, I learned that John passed away due to a prolonged battle with throat cancer. “Yep, he lived in a lot of pain that he never told us about,” he said. The manager said that one of their longtime Wednesday morning regulars spent a lot of time with John. “He is man of faith, always with Bible in hand, and it seemed to bring John peace before he passed.” Gratitude touched my heart with those words.

GK Chesterton once said, “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." The kindness of strangers can be the face of God to a desperate world. 

What face are you reflecting these days?