December 23 – “Saying Merry Christmas”

It's getting closer.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  That should mean shopping should get more and more fun.  Or at least watching other people shop.  I figured out an excuse to go to Office Depot today.  We printed out all our annual Christmas letters, so the printer says we are dangerously low on tri-color ink.  Too many pictures, I guess.  But that means I get to say "Merry Christmas" to at least one more stranger.  When I told Chris where I was going, she added an item to my list: Krogers for a gift card.  No problem.  So that's two sales clerks and whoever I might run across in the parking lot or standing in line.  Surely there will be a line.    On the way I stopped at the Donut Shop around the corner from the house to order eight dozen donuts for Seasiders to give away.  After our Christmas Eve service tomorrow night wee take a dozen donuts to people who have to work.  Fire fighters.  Policemen.  Convenience store workers.  Nursing home.  Lots of possibilities.  The clerk there has been there a long time.  She didn't know who I was, but I think she remembered me as a local.  Great smiler and her "Merry Christmas" came easily.  The guy in the back who actually makes the donuts recognized me, too.  He's been there a long time, and I have seen him around town as well.  He hollered a "Merry Christmas" through the glass separator.  I hollered back.  Great start.   Office Depot was woefully empty.  Only three cars out front, and I think they belonged to staffers.  I grabbed the ink cartridges (I went ahead and got one for the black side as well), and headed to the register thinking, "Maybe Kroger will be more crowded."  No one was at the register, so I veered toward the Customer Service desk.  Nope.  Wrong way.  The manager saw me coming and quickly instructed me to go to the register.  No smile.  So I told her Merry Christmas, but I don't think she heard me.  A clerk met me at the register and scanned the cartridges.  I found our personal Office Depot credit card this morning while looking for a Kroger card, so I gave it a try.  Nope.  No longer in service.  I wonder how long one of those things has to be inactive before they zap it?  Oh, well.  I paid with Plan B and ended with Merry Christmas.  Still no smile.  But she did manage to mutter, "Happy Holidays."   Kroger.  We don't go there much because we have to cross 61st and go East.  It's a Galveston Island thing.  There were a lot of people there, though, so I was excited.  I went in to the service desk and established my place in the modest line.  The lady in front of me was already at the desk, but her daughter was busily turning the wheel of the makeshift car built in to the shopping cart.  Great inventions, those.  Wish we had had them when I was a kid.  She was quite intent on wherever it was she was headed in her creative world.  I didn't want to scare her, so I kept my "Have a great trip kid" to myself.  It wasn't long before my turn came up.  The lady calling for "Next" looked somewhat haggard already, and it was only 10:00 in the morning.  No smile.  So I greeted her with a "Merry Christmas" and a smile.  What a change.  She instantly smiled and returned the greeting in kind.  No sullen "Happy Holidays" here.  I bought the gift card and asked the question Chris had instructed me to ask.  Now we know that when we turn 59 we can have our Kroger card scanned and get a senior discount.  That might make it worth crossing 61st for groceries.   When I got home I remembered that I was also supposed to stop by Mom's bank and cash a check for her.  So I jumped into the truck this time, because Chris had dibs on the car to go get a haircut.  The bank is not far.  Didn't have to go past that dreaded East-West barrier.  This time I used the "Merry Christmas" greeting again, right off the bat.  And it turned out to be the "On" switch for the teller.  She returned the greeting and started talking.  "Are you ready yet?  Have you finished wrapping?  I started mine this morning.  I still have a few little things left to get."  I interrupted long enough to tell her I wanted tens and that we wrapped last night.  That was my limit, apparently.  She continued on until she counted out the money.  I finally squeezed in another "Merry Christmas" and she gave me one right back, along with a happy smile.  Ah.  Now that's Christmas.  There's hope for happiness out there.   James 5:13 says, "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."   Father, thank you for receiving as praise this noise I make that I call singing.  That is the intent.  Amen.