How to Help a Grump

If someone is having a bad day, you can help.

Grumpy

There’s a nice deli near the Guideposts office. I stop there every now and then in the morning to get a diet iced tea (I’m trying to cut down on coffee!). The other day, I stopped there, picked up my ice tea and got in line to pay.

There’s a row of registers at checkout. I recognized one of the cashier ladies there. I’ve encountered her many times. She’s kind of moody and even snarky sometimes, no matter how pleasant you might be. So when I saw her, I did something I’m not proud of. I said a little prayer that I wouldn’t get her as my cashier. I didn’t… and breathed a sigh of relief. 

In the afternoon, my colleague Mary came up to my desk. She’d just gone to that same deli during lunch to get coffee.

“Do you know that cashier there? She’s kind of moody?” she asked me.

I sure did!

“She’s been kind of a grump to me all week whenever I get my coffee,” Mary said. “Today, though, she asked me how I was doing. So I asked her how her day was going.”

“Not good,” the cashier said. She went on to tell Mary about a difficult relationship she was in. How she’d had bad luck with men for awhile. Mary gave her some words of encouragement. They had a nice chat. Mary left the deli feeling like she understood the grumpy cashier a bit better.

After Mary’s story, I did too. You never know what someone else is going through. That was definitely a reminder I needed after my prayer of avoidance that morning!

What about you? Have you ever gotten a divine nudge or reminder? Share your story below or email us at MW@Guideposts.org! 

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