I went to lunch at Panera with my friend, Paul, yesterday. The young lady pleasantly took our order. As she was processing it, I asked her name and she replied, “Sarah.” Then, with a smile, I asked her what she liked most about her job. She barely hesitated and then said, “the people.” To which I asked, “and how do the customers treat you?” Surprisingly, she said, “not well.”

I said I was sorry and then asked her how we were doing? Her eyes lit up and a big smile came across her face and she said we were great.

Paul and I ended up talking for a few minutes about how some people suffer terribly but that many of us in our relatively safe and protected culture don’t consider that much beyond the typical challenges faced by close friends and family.

In Sarah’s case, she felt it was ok to admit something to a stranger who, strangely, asked her a point blank question that she’d probably never been asked before. And, then, for at least a few minutes, she felt something opposite, maybe a touch of joy from the personal touch of a stranger.

Lord, help us, once again, to connect with invisible people and show them that they are cared for. After all, that’s a reflection of you, when all is said and done. Amen.