Miserable?

Yesterday was not the best day of my life.

The list of ailments included a drippy nose, completely stuffed up head, multiple sneezes every so often, hot & achy skin, right eye/contact having issues, and a completely stiff knee that eventually was no longer dependable to walk on. I have no idea what happened to it — all of a sudden it started hurting and progressively got worse. I realize there are way worse situations and conditions in this world, so this is not me complaining. Got it? Good. 😀

I had to go work anyway, and then there were certain other situations to deal with in the morning (not involving customers). Unfortunately, when one is in a sick emotional state already… uh yeah. Not so pretty. (Sometimes tear sessions in the bathroom are necessary) I wished I could go home. I wished for my bed. I wished I would be anywhere but there.

But then peace eventually reigned at Sips, and dear Moriah and Justin cheered me up. 😀 (Other than having to tell Justin good-bye because she’s going back to college 😦 Gonna miss that girl!)

On the way home I made a couple stops and encountered some interesting people. And God changed my concept of misery.

The first encounter was with a little old lady in Goodwill. You couldn’t help knowing she was there, as she made her presence quite known! In other words, the entire store could hear every word she was yelling in a very upset tone. On and on and on she went, despite the sales people and manager’s attempts to calm her down. It was all over a vase that she INSISTED was $1.50, when in actuality the price was different. Finally finally she moved on from the vase deal, and then she called MOTA (taxi bus type ride) to be picked up, and ranted and wailed to them for awhile about how “they’d better not forget me!!” and “I’ll be stranded!!” and so forth. (I know this because I stood at the counter waiting for her to get off the phone so they could run my card) On her way back to her cart, she stopped and looked straight in my face and fiercely told me how they just don’t care about you. Oh my. It wasn’t her tone or her words that hit my core. It was her eyes. I can’t describe how they looked. Other than possessed.

I might have felt miserable physically yesterday. She is miserable. I can’t imagine what is torturing her soul.

Then there was the old guy with the long white beard and ponytail who kindly let me go in front of him in line at the grocery store. I unloaded my mozzarella cheese, bacon, peas, loaf of bread, and cream cheese onto the conveyor belt, and then looked at his row of items. Two big boxes of Ramen noodles, two boxes of saltine crackers, rice, beans, mustard, and a small can of coffee. My purchase looked like luxury compared to his bare bones basics. He likely doesn’t have much money and struck me as being a lonely hillbilly. In spite of this, he was kind to me and even waved as I drove out of the parking lot! I have no idea what his circumstances are, but his choice to treat me with kindness and think of others above himself blessed me. (I’m sure he never imagined I’d go home and blog about him – ha!!)

And there was also the situation with the unnamed person in the morning… definitely much misery going on there. Deep down identity misery. The way it came out didn’t make me feel too happy, but all in all, at least I’m not living with that kind of misery within myself. Thank You Jesus.

[miz-er-uh-buhl] adjective
1. wretchedly unhappy, uneasy, or uncomfortable

Is it positive to step on your own toes? Because I am. Mostly because I just sent a friend an email saying how something was making me feel positively miserable. But it’s not as bad as all that – I’m not wretchedly unhappy, or at least I’m trying not to be. 😉 Makes me ask – am I choosing to be miserable like the little old Nancy lady or kind like the long bearded hillbilly? Will I look past circumstances and be happy anyway? Can I stop thinking about my own issues and focus on others?

I don’t believe Jesus wants us to live a miserable existence.

[And thus ends Kristin’s sermon to herself ;)]