Have a Nice Day

August 8, 2018

“Have a nice day!” Most of the time, those four words tacked onto the end of a commercial transaction by the checkout girl (or guy) we assume are merely polite, but insincere words drilled into them by the management. Maybe so, but it’s still nice to hear them. A short conversation while depositing some money into our checking account at the credit union this morning concluded with those familiar words that got me to thinking. I’m sure that often there’s no more sincerity to them than when someone says, “How ‘ya doing?” as they pass you on the sidewalk. If you actually stopped and told them, they’d be shocked, and maybe even a bit nonplussed.

Sincere or not, these small exchanges are the lubrication that keeps the gears of civility meshing instead of grinding. I’ve had Christians, people I considered brothers and sisters, people I prayed with, curse me to my face, telling me how they desired my pastoral demise and all but telling me where to go. I much prefer the innocuous, “Have a nice day,” and am thankful tonight for the ones I heard today at the credit union, the coffee shop, and the builders’ supply house. Yeah, I really do like hearing it, even if it’s only perfunctory. It’s still a blessing, not a curse.