cktimes.ca Archives for The Pastoral Lens
The Pastoral Lens
Observations From A Sally Ann Kettle
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
With the Christmas season well in progress at this point, a familiar sight at many grocery and department stores is the famous red Salvation Army kettle. Volunteers from across the community take their turn manning the kettle in 2-hour shifts (this is the case in Wallaceburg, anyway) from 10:00am-8:00pm each day until Christmas. I was at the helm recently at one of the department stores in our town and observed a number of interesting things about the people of the community. Some things were positive, and some negative, but either way, it made for an interesting 2 hours in my evening. I would like to take this article to share with you some of the things I learned "at the kettle."First, there were all those faces. Faces come in many shapes, sizes, and expressions. I tried to discern what these various expressions might have meant. Worried men showed the concern of being out of work with the uncertainty of where the next paycheque would come from. Doting grandparents beamed with the joy of being able to spoil their grandchildren. Frustrated mothers, exasperated from the daily drain of excited (and often disobedient) children, display a visage of fatigue gone to seed. Young teenagers in love have a carefree, unfettered glow to their countenance as they meander up and down the aisles in no hurry whatsoever. Little children, excited to be in the presence of their own utopia, beam from ear to ear. Then there were the beleaguered store clerks. One minute these teen girls were showing the signs of frustration that come with dealing with complaining customers, and the next, when there's a rare lull at the till, they are giggling and talking about what they will do when their shift is over. I was so aware of how different the people of any given community really are. Our God is not a cookie-cutter God with a "one size/one emotion fits all" kind of mentality. He has made us refreshingly different and unique.
The next thing that I obseved was etiquette. What I mean by this is how people treat other people. One young mom sent her daughter over to the kettle to put a five-dollar bill through the slot. This little 3-year-old was so pleasant and respectful. She replied with a polite "thank-you" when I handed her a copy of the free Salvation Army magazine reserved for donors. The mother smiled to me and thanked me, as well. One family came through the doors in an apparent hurry. The parents were quite exasperated with the kids, both of whom were not listening to their parents. I could here them a few aisles over, still arguing and scolding. I thought of how that scenario has been played out in my life on more than one occasion! I saw one lady returning something that was damaged. She did a poor job of hiding her impatience as the young clerk made calls to a supervisor for permission to grant an exchange. Yet, there was another patron who had a similar situation, yet this man smiled and made conversation while he patiently waited for the transaction to be completed. It's all about attitude. I think I heard someone once say that life is 5% action and 95% reaction. Hey, I learned that at the kettle.
Another thing I learned was that certain things bug me. Kids pushing the handicap button for the door to open automatically is something that boils my blood. They are neither handicapped (is it ok to say that word anymore?) nor elderly, but push away they did, and that on the windiest night of the year (or so it seemed from my perspective at the door). Oh, and another thing stirs me up. When someone cuts in front of you as you're trying to have a conversation with another person, shouldn't an "excuse me" automatically slip out? Am I living in the paleozoic era to think that common courtesies still have a role to play in civilized society today?
Finally, I want to say something about generosity. Wallaceburg is a town, like many others in Chatham-Kent, that has been hit hard by layoffs and plant closures. Times are tough and many families are feeling it this Christmas. Of course, this is precisely the reason we have the Salvation Army kettles in the first place. Many people need help in these duifficult days. So, as I stood (it was too drafty to sit, you know, with all those kids pressing the handicap button and all... oh, please don't get me started on that again!) by the kettle, one after another of Wallaceburg's department store clientele walked up to the red bucket and made a deposit. Sometimes it was coins, and sometimes bills, but give they did. Somehow, with all the layoffs, closures and unemployment staring this community in the face, people still seem step up to the plate when the need is there. Young and old, joyful smile or worried frown, they make their donation.
I like the slogan that says "Jesus Is The Reason For The Season." However, I am more inclined to believe that we are the reason for the season. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). God gave and now we must do the same. Giving to others in need shows them the Father's love. Isn't it amazing what life lessons you can learn at a Salvation Army kettle?
