NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

May 15

Scripture focus: “This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." John 3:19-21 The Message

All I intended was completing my errands; it was a busy day, and getting through these simple chores fast was a top priority. One last stop at the pharmacy, and I was free to head home and get back to work. This work felt imperative.

Usually I head to the pharmacy, greet by my friend Ginger, who reaches into the completed prescriptions bin and whips out my order. No such luck today. Instead, a stranger asks for my name, which she finds impossible to grasp. “Nadine?” She asks in broken English.

“No, it’s McBean. M-C-B-E-A-N. Like greenbeans and McDonald’s.” (How hard can this be?) I feel mildly annoyed when she stares back blankly.

“No Mac Bain’s here, come back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Sunday, you won’t be open. Are you sure it isn’t there?”

“No B’s at all.”

“Oh! Look in the M’s!” My spirits rise. Maybe the prescription is filled.

“We no put B’s in M’s.” She thinks I’m a goof; I can tell this in any language.

“My. Name. Is. MMMMMMMMcBean.” I speak very slowly.

“Wait here. I get help.”

I don’t want to wait. I want to get my medicine handed to me by someone who always knows my name so that I can rush off and get busy with my very important, vital, crucial, essential, urgent, necessary work. I desire for my errand to be short, and my results swift.

More on why this response is a very big deal and bad news tomorrow.

“It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most human beings live only for the gratification of it.” Aristotle

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