My Monday Cup | But God, Only God

I was listening to a sermon series by Tullian Tchividjian as I headed up to Chicken Express to get my refund from the other day. Due to a technical glitch they had overcharged me. The same day it happened, I had contacted the District Manager and told them of the error. Earlier, while at the drive thru window, I had fought the urge to snap and come unglued. The person working the cash register wasn’t helpful and made it seem like I was making my issue up. Visions of Michael Douglas in Falling Down churned through my head. Breathe, Rainer, breathe.

When I shared this with the District Manager she promised to refund my money. All I had to do was go by the store and pick up my money. Naturally, that slipped through the cracks and when I arrived the manager had to “do some checking” on the whereabouts of my refund. No worries. I had plenty of time.

Standing there at the front counter, I reached into my pants pocket to retrieve my wallet and noticed that the pockets of my shorts were pointing in the wrong direction. The zipper that was supposed to be closed and up front was in the back, open. I had put my pants on backwards!

I looked around the dining room and only saw one couple sitting inside. Thankfully, they were deeply engrossed in themselves. WHEW! Naturally, realizing my pants were on backwards, I suddenly couldn’t wait to get going. Thankfully, the manager returned, opened the register, and handed me a crisp ten dollar bill.

As I left, a transient homeless man sitting in the corner of the concrete porch near the entrance asked if I could spare any change. I gave him the ten dollars I had just received. Easy come, easy go, I thought. He needs it more than me.

Hebrews 4:13 ESV

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

I asked him for his name. He smiled, “Eric.”

I replied, “Eric it’s good to meet you. My name is Rainer.”

Eric gave me that quizzical look people often give me upon hearing my name as they try to make sense of why they heard. “What are your plans for today?”, I asked him.

“I’m planning on catching a train like that one headed west to El Paso.”

I looked over my shoulder in time to catch a train rolling across the bridge headed eastward.

“You hop trains often?”

“It’s all I know for about twenty years. It’s a cheap way to travel. I’m from Florida. All they got there is gangs and drugs. Not a place for me to be if you know what I mean.”

I nodded. “What’s in El Paso?”

“With the government cracking down on all the illegals a lot of the trucking companies are looking for workers. I figured I’d head there and see another hired on. They pay good money. About nineteen to twenty dollars an hour.”

We talked some more, even though I was acutely aware my shorts were on backwards. I didn’t care. I figured God had arranged our meeting and I wanted to hear what the Lord had to tell me through meeting Eric.

As we wound down our impromptu talk, I asked Eric if I could pray with him and his eyes lit up. “YES”. So I walked towards him as he stood up and walked toward me. We met somewhere in the middle and Eric stuck out his hand. His hand revealed that he was used to hard labor. I clasped his open hand and put my arm on his shoulder. We both bowed our heads and I prayed for my new friend. After I said amen, Eric said thank you and asked me, “What’s your name again?”

I smiled and said, “Rainer.”

We parted ways, each headed in our own direction.

We are either pointing people to Jesus or pushing them away.

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

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