It's a Good Thing I'm Already a Christ Follower . . .

Ran into some "pet peeves", I guess you could call them, Sunday and today. I went to McLean Bible Church's new Prince William campus' service for the first time on Sunday. I decided to attend their "Open Doors Community Bible Study". I enjoyed the group study, but when I first walked into the room, there were already two women and they were chatting away, obviously good friends. The one closest to where I was standing (at the complimentary coffee stuffs) introduced herself to me. I did the "nice to meet you's" back and then silence . . . Normally, in Christian circles, being social is expected, well, the woman she was speaking with, sitting next to her just sat there and didn't introduce herself as well (of course, her friend could've done that for her). So, I said "and . . . " after a moment, looking at her expectantly. She didn't even turn her head my way, much less look at me, just curtly said her name, "Max." That was it.

It's a good thing I'm already a long-time Christian, because, if I was not a believer or if I was a new believer, I would've walked right out of that room. I'm a very self-conscious person by nature and I was offended and a little hurt. If she hadn't been talking to a white woman already (she was black), I would have assumed that she was prejudiced against whites, or something. That sort of thing steams me up! What if I wasn't a believer? What if I was a new Christian? You can't assume that everyone who walks into a church and/or Bible study is Christian! A friend or parent might've brought them, or they were brave enough to take the initiative and go by themselves!

The rude woman only spoke to me when her friend noticed me doodling in the margins of my notes and was impressed. Oh, now I'm worth your time? *Sigh* Oh, well. I admit, in initiating social interactions, I haven't been so good lately. I've been letting my shy, insecure side take over. Got to pray for confidence!

The other incident was MORE OUTRAGEOUS! This morning I was watching the kids of a friend of my sister's, at a church. The friend was attending the home-group art class with her two other children. So, I babysat her three year old (cute-as-a-button) girl and her three-month old son. His stroller is pretty heavy. It takes a lot of effort to push and keep control of the steering. It's like the Hummer of baby-carriages! Anyway, so the children and I go outside. I push the stroller out, too, with herculean effort since there was no one to open the door for me.

The moment we get outside, the little girl announces, "I need to go potty". I make a u-turn. I pause before the doors a moment, in the hopes that someone will come and open it for me (the doors are glass, by the way). A man who looked to be in his mid-to late sixties, came up from behind and walked through the door next to me ( 2 sets of double-doors, went through the pair next to me). Of course, the stroller is too unwieldy for me to quickly get in behind him, AND HE JUST OPENED THE DOOR ENOUGH TO LET HIMSELF IN!! You know, the kind that follows close behind your back as it closes . . . ?

So, I push open the door, hold it to let the girl in first, then push and shove and maneuver the heavy stroller over the threshold. Of course, the little metal threshold cover gives me trouble. Then, somehow one of the wheels turns in the opposite direction and gets stuck against the edge of one of the double doors. I'm pushing and pulling, trying to pick up the stroller and turn it, all the while holding the door open (which is also heavy) with my back (it's the kind that's on like a tension wire, so it will close itself . . .).

The man had gone to drop off some canned goods in the charity bin at the end of the narthex (church lobby). I was still struggling half inside and half outside within the door as he came back to the entrance. He actually looked at me as he exited back through the same doors he entered through! And I was obviously struggling! WHAT GIVES? I've never seen such rudeness in my entire life! AND I'VE LIVED IN THE D.C. AREA UP UNTIL RECENTLY!!! Come on, brothers and sisters! AAARRRRGGGG! Makes me so frustrated! If I wasn't a Christian and knew that this sort of rudeness is not business as usual . . . It also shocked me that it was a man, a much older man, who was so indifferent!

*Rumble, rumble, rumble! Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny . . .*