My Subway Testimony

[Dave in Tenn]

Last night I went to Subway.  They have a shop in one of the larger convenience stores/gas stations in town.  I thought I might share this so you might have a better look at the gloriosity which is Dave.

I'd spent most of the day in Bible Study and prayer and had worked up a bit of an appetite, so I went to get a Veggie sandwich.  There are two main doors to this shop.  As I entered, I saw coming through the other door a family of four...Dad, Mom and two daughters, both under 10 I'm guessing.

So I said a little prayer for them...something like, "Dear Lord, PLEASE don't let them get in line in front of me." and I quickened my pace to help get that prayer answered.  Some idiot crossed my path and slowed me down and sure enough, the man turned at the beginning of the queue just squeaking ahead of me.

Like a good christian, I smiled--or at least I gritted my teeth--as the remainder of the family filed in behind Dad, and of course IN FRONT OF ME!

THEN they started ordering.  Four DIFFERENT sandwiches.  Do you think they could have shared at all?  OH NO!  Every member of that beautiful little family had to have their OWN! 

The ladies behind the counter were working as fast as they could, I suppose.  I could have worked faster, I'm sure, but not for THAT kind of money.  Just when I thought we might be getting somewhere THIS WEEK, the sandwich builder asked the question I dreaded.  "Do you want these toasted?"

Well, OF COURSE THEY WANTED THEM TOASTED!  ONE AT A TIME!

Here I am, fresh from a day of unemployment and Bible Study and I swear to you I had not eaten in HOURS!  Well, I did have a samll thing of yogurt, but that doesn't count.  I don't know how many hours it had been, but it was SEVERAL!  Of THAT I am sure.

No doubt you will all agree that what happened next was the icing on the cake.  These two sweet little girls could not make up their precious minds what toppings to get.  And the mother actually talked sweetly to them!  Can you believe it?

When it finally came my turn to get MY food ordered...a good FIVE MINUTES LATER, I gave the sandwhich builder one of those comradely winks expecting her to acknowledge my pain, but she just looked at me like I was nuts--which, of course, I was.

God let me get through all that before calling me up short, and quick.  After I got my drink, I was a lot nicer to the cashier and managed not to cry over my sorry selfish SIN until I was mostly back to the car.  Then He washed me out but good.  I prayed for that lovely family.  I wish I would have prayed for them in the line.

[Jackie Lee]

HaHa I know exactly what you mean, better late than never though for prayer. 

[Stevernator]

Hey Dave,
Something similar happened to me today.
I had an appointment for a passport and had been waiting. I walked over to look for something and when I walked back a family stepped right in front of me and the man stood real close to the door to mark his territory. I tried to stand near to the door as well. After a while, I said something like "Excuse me sir I've been waiting here before you and I had an earlier appointment. Then one of the girls said well if your appt has passed then we might be called on." Then I mentioned that I was there before them waiting anyway and they ignored me and kept standing there. I grew irritated and impatient and when the door opened I signaled to the lady that I was next and she recognized me and told the people that if they did not have an appointment they would have to return later.
Then I thought of the post Dave in Tenn wrote and felt a little sorry for the tension and said a little prayer for them. So I think I understand a little bit where Dave is coming from. Maybe I need a lesson in humility. Maybe I could have been a little friendlier and it could have been smoother.

[musicman]

Dave, I can't believe that you didn't say a prayer while in line.  I would have said to my-self, "dear God, please do not allow me to choke the parents of these undecided little twerps".  My favorites are those people in front of you in line that have been waiting for like 10 minutes and decide at the moment of truth, "I don't know what I want" (I'm mimiking them with a whiny voice.).  How bout the ones having their megatons of groceries checked out before remembering "hey, I think we have to pay for this stuff, don't we?  I usually mumble, "yes you do have to pay for the things you wish to purchase"

Then there's South Florida traffic.  Why, oh why!!!,,,,, do there seem to be 10 times as many cars on the road when it rains?  It's raining folks!!!  Stay home!!!  If you can't drive faster than 5mph when it rains, don't drive when it rains!!!  You're killen me!!

This week I'll be running a seminar on patience.  It'll be entitled, "Patience, Who's Got The Time For That".   One of my topics will be "How To Get People Moving When You're in a Hurry".

[Kent]

Want to learn patience? Drive a truck for a living. What people do in front of you, or around you, will blow your mind, at first. Then, later on, you will scarcely notice their stupidity because it is so common. Are people really that anxious to die?

Its sink or swim: learn patience or kill people. And that is on your first week on the job...

[dogcombat]

In other words, situations like these have you "Speaking a tongue, that's fluently dung"

Ches

[Kat]

Oh boy, I have been there and done that.  I have been the mother and kids, with the frustrated person behind me.  I have been the one in line behind someone taking tooooo long. 

But I have recognized this serious fault and have turned these waiting in lines episodes into an exercise in patience.  I have been consciously (it's certainly not natural) using this act of kindness trying to buildup my own patience.  So if someone walks up in line behind me with a hand full of groceries and I'm about to check out a half buggy full (can't afford a full buggy these days), I'll tell them to step ahead of me.  I've gotten some interesting responces of surprise.  But it is something I really enjoy doing now.  It makes someone else's day go better and it makes me feel good too.  Not tooting my horn here, just wanted to give you something to think about using as well, as I believe building patience takes an conscious effort 

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Samson]

Dave, I can't believe that you didn't say a prayer while in line.  I would have said to my-self, "dear God, please do not allow me to choke the parents of these undecided little twerps".  My favorites are those people in front of you in line that have been waiting for like 10 minutes and decide at the moment of truth, "I don't know what I want" (I'm mimiking them with a whiny voice.).  How bout the ones having their megatons of groceries checked out before remembering "hey, I think we have to pay for this stuff, don't we?  I usually mumble, "yes you do have to pay for the things you wish to purchase"

Then there's South Florida traffic.  Why, oh why!!!,,,,, do there seem to be 10 times as many cars on the road when it rains?  It's raining folks!!!  Stay home!!!  If you can't drive faster than 5mph when it rains, don't drive when it rains!!!  You're killen me!!

This week I'll be running a seminar on patience.  It'll be entitled, "Patience, Who's Got The Time For That".   One of my topics will be "How To Get People Moving When You're in a Hurry".

 Ace in the Hole,

                        The Musicman strikes again, I share your sentiments, yes patience and tolerance for me lacks longevity, especially when driving and waiting in line at Food joints and Grocery stores. I've actually experienced waiting in line at a food store with someone in front of me with a overflowing food cart and when it's time to pay(antie up), they fall short of funds and now I have to wait for the process of subtraction and for the customer to decide which items they can do without. Are these people Brain Dead, Air Heads or just plain selfish or All of the Above;   ; I don't know; Did god send them to the store at that precise moment in order to disipline and train me to learn patience, probably;  . Do I suffer as a result of these experiences, undoubtedly.

                        The one about driving in the rain at 5 m.p.h instead of staying at home is one familiar to me and taxes my central nervous system. When I go on a sarcastic tangent about this; The Freckle Girl will respond by saying: " Now everybody get off the road, Brad is driving now "; Ha Ha !

                         Of course this Post by Musicman is my type of Humor,good old fashioned sarcasm, based on real-life events. When Food Shopping, Driving, waiting in line; etc, etc; I don't suffer fools very well.


                                       Thanks Again, Musicman;   from Samson.

[OBrenda]

Stop it everyone I can't  Breathe    I'm laughing  to hard !