The Gas Station Encounter
Oct 26, 2020"Mostly, none of us have it altogether, just some of us are brave enough to keep getting back up often in-spite of being too much for some and not enough for others."
--Rene Groom
Rene Groom is my friend and she's a fabulous writer and photographer. I saw her post on Facebook and thought it was sooooo inspiring, I got her permission to share it with you.
"This morning as I stared at my "to-do" list. I felt restless...unable to truly focus on any one thing. So, as I often do, I grabbed my camera and headed for the truck. As I pulled into one of our local gas stations there was a young women sitting on the curb who looked like perhaps her day had started out worse than mine. As I started to get out of the truck our eyes met, briefly.
As I continued to watch her, her eyes now gazing down, I asked if she was okay.
Clearly not, she couldn't make out the words, but shook her head as if to convince me she was. I quickly told her that I was glad, and proceeded to tell her my day started out less then stellar, as well. She half- heartily laughed. I then went on to say I was headed into the store to buy myself "a stiff one," smiling as I explained in my world that meant a diet coke. I asked her if she'd like one too. She nodded that she would.
I made my purchases and pulled up a seat next to her on the curb, and she began to speak. While I won't go on about the content of our conversation, I will say this...the world is full of people who are always more than happy to point out what they think they are or are not...I played her Lauren Diagle's Song "You Say" https://youtu.be/N8WK9HmF53w from my phone and shared that sadly her experience isn't unique to her. I shared that I am a writer who has severe dyslexia - and who is not immune to my critics' voices; a photographer who tries to compete in a competitive arena without being able to afford all the lenses and expensive cameras I might want, or feel like I need, to advance; a mom who has regrets; a wife who struggles to get it right; a daughter who...well... you know the list. I asked her if she thought she could turn off the negative noise and learn to find her tribe... to weed out those who only speak negative into her life and replace them with positive. She agreed to try. I thanked her for being there today. And told her how much the God of the Universe must love her... that HE would interrupt my "important" chore list ( we laughed) just so that I could spend time with her.
After we said our good-byes, I drove on fighting back tears, heartbroken for a young lady that I had just met. At 57, I am getting better at turning the noise down. On my drive down by the river, I was aware that much of what I heard me tell her, was stuff my own heart also needed to hear. Mostly, none of us have it altogether, just some of us are brave enough to keep getting back up often in-spite of being too much for some and not enough for others."
WOW! Just wow! I don't know who else needed to hear that...besides me. Find your tribe, those who speak life and greatness into you. You deserve it. We deserve it.
Turning down the noise,
Jan
Jan McDonald
John Maxwell Team
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