What if every person you encountered had just lost a loved one?
The Starbucks barista who made your iced Americana. The lady at the grocery check-out. The person for whom you just held the door open. The person who just cut you off on the road.
As I’ve gone through the past few days, I keep feeling like everyone should know what has happened in the last week and that a truly dear and cherished loved one has unexpectedly passed away. But they don’t know it; they don’t know that our world has just done a complete 180.
When I was driving to the hospital last Thursday, I passed by a house in our neighborhood where people were outside on the patio, enjoying drinks and laughing. All I could think was, “Why are they so happy? Don’t they know?”
I know, of course, that Susan’s passing doesn’t impact every person I see, but it has certainly impacted the way I perceive people.
Acts of kindness are received 100-fold. The gentleman who held the door open for me while leaving Starbucks this morning melted my heart. When the lady at the hotel front-desk heard about our situation, she gave us a free room upgrade; I choked up. (The room upgrade, by the way, has made our sleep arrangements with Zack so much more manageable!). I’ve received notes from friends who are going to make the 90-minute drive down to Colorado Springs on Saturday, but they’ve never even met Susan. They’re coming to support us, and the reality that people care that much makes me cry.
I haven’t encountered a mean person yet, but that’s probably because I haven’t gotten out much. 
But honestly, I don’t relish the first person to be rude or dismissive; in my current state, that could be crushing.
This all brings me back to my first question, which may at first sound like a bit of a downer, but it’s worth asking: What if every person you encountered had just lost a loved one?
Would you treat them differently? Would you give the guy who just cut you off a little more grace? Would you offer an extra smile to the person behind the register who seems to have missed a detail or two?
Based on the events from this past week, I feel challenged in the way I look at people. Jesus said to treat others in the way that we would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12 ESV), and I’m seeing a more tangible application of that now.
Even if every person I meet hasn’t lost a loved one, perhaps they have financial troubles, or they’re feeling overwhelmed by life. Maybe they have a newborn and have not had much sleep. The point is, I’m challenged to be less quick to get angry or feel slighted when people don’t act exactly as I expect, and I’m challenged to take an extra step to be kind, extend grace, and offer more warmth when I can.
Grace and kindness: You never know when someone you’ll never meet again just might need it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here Jenn. Well said. I’m going to try it and will let you know how it goes.
Scott