A Quick Trip to the Bank

I pulled up to the bank today in a bit of a hurry to go in, make my deposit and get out as quick as possible. I needed to get my errands done so my day off with the Husband could begin.

As I was getting out of my car I noticed an elderly woman getting out of her car at the same time. She was moving slowly. We were both headed for the front door, but I had the advantage. I was faster! I thought, If I walk quickly, I can reach the door first. She was little and quite tender looking. As I Watched her walk, I thought of my mother in law, who just had knee replacement surgery. She also walks very slowly. While taking her to her appointments, I watch her carefully as she steps up on curbs, making sure she gets safely inside. When I open doors for her, people usually step aside and give her preference, as it should be. I felt a heart tug as I watched this little lady make her way along the walkway, and thought to myself Lori, what are you thinking, racing a granny? get a grip!

As I approached the door, the little lady wasn’t far behind me, and I heard in my spiritual ear Slow down, wait at the door and open it for her and let her go first, like you would for your mother. I quickly adjusted my pace, and gave God a spiritual salute.

She entered the bank and I followed. She was first in line. As we stood there waiting she turned to me and said, “Are you in a hurry? Would you like to go before me?” I thought Wow! How weird is that? But I replied, “That’s okay, I’m fine.” She said, “You should go before me because I’m going to take some time.” With concern in her voice she continued, “I hope they can fix the mistake they made on my last deposit.” I assured her they would be able to, and thanked her as she waved me on to the teller.

As I walked back to the car, I thought about my encounter with the sweet lady. Seems like me and the little lady were listening to the same voice. Did we both pass a test today or was it just me who passed a test? I think she was just operating in the sweetness that she’s become accustomed to because of all the tests she’s probably already mastered. I also thought about how great it is that God is in the littlest details. He required me to slow down and prefer my neighbor and then, in turn, my neighbor preferred me, putting me first in line after all, which probably only saved me a few minutes. In reality it’s a bit goofy to try and save five minutes at a bank. But I’ll bet I’m not the only one who’s thought about stepping up the pace to save time; whether it’s to be first in the door at a bank, or a concert, or a restaurant, or the checkout line in the grocery store.

Some may think God doesn’t involve Himself in such little details. But I think our Heavenly Father takes advantage of those small moments and speaks to us. Just as we earthly parents do with our children, He uses teachable moments to build our character. And apparently, God knows when our pace is too fast and we lose our focus. He knows when we need to be reminded of our call to prefer our neighbor and to be like Him.

Romans 12:10 says we should give preference to one another which can be hard to do because it requires an amount of sacrifice. Some “preferences” are easier than others. I had an easy “preference” today. Such a simple thing, but unfortunately, the old nature wanted to go fast and win.

I thank God for, fall back on, and take comfort in 2 Corinthians 3:18 which says: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (NKJV).

One day the process of being transformed into His image will be finished. There will be no more tests to pass, lessons to learn, or trials to overcome, no matter what the size. What a day that will be as I stand in His presence rejoicing that I made it home. Until then I don’t think I’ll be looking to race any little grannies. I’ll gladly slow the pace, and continue to watch for opportunities to be a good neighbor. And I’m certain that if I forget, God is in the details and He’s a good accountability partner.