Good With People

A major contradiction in my life is that I ‘work well’ with people and that people bug the heck out of me. Obviously most of the problems with people are more about my expectations. Since I am nearly perfect I have high hopes for the rest of the human race. High hopes which are often crushed. Seriously I have asked God to help me love people better. It’s tough though.

I came home tonite ranting because one of the folks in my bible study group that has been a Christian for many years has no clue about basic doctrine. One would expect somebody acquainted with any belief system to have a working framework for that system. There I go again disproving the saying that ‘teacher expectation affects pupil learning.’ I see similar instances while working with the public.

When I am finished ringing up a coffee order at work I tell the customer, “I will have your drink for you at the end of the bar,” then I point to the end of the bar. More often than not customers will nod when I say this then wonder where their drink is. I can’t find it in myself to believe the problem is with me. I just can’t figure out how these folks got through third grade. Perhaps they were in classes where the teacher never gave instructions and expected them to be followed. Perhaps there were never consequences for failure to follow the directions. This frightens me.

I don’t know how Christ did it. How did (does) He put up with a race that is clueless about so many things? That is my true key struggle. How do I love people that can’t follow directions, understand sarcasm, or buy a clue? Even as I write this I am typing with one hand and hitting my forehead with the other. That’s my continued prayer. I will continue to work on that this week. In the meantime I’m going to the store to by some of those orange sticks the Ramp Agents use to bring airplanes down the runway.