I chose the word surprisingly in today’s title for a very specific reason. I had to make some business-y phone calls this morning. In one of these particular calls the person I wanted to speak with wasn’t there, and so I was transferred to someone else. I explained that to the lady and said that I hoped she could help.
First, her computer was slow. Then she had to put me on hold to talk to someone else. She accidentally disconnected me. When I called back and finally pinballed my way through the automated answering system to get to her, she informed me that she couldn’t help me. The only person who could help me was, in fact, the person I wanted to speak with at the start.
She was appropriately apologetic and sympathetic. I was, wait for it, nice. Yep, nice. Apparently, I was surprisingly nice because she was taken aback and thanked me for it. I told her to have a good day, hung up the phone and felt a little twinge of sadness for this world that we’re living in. Friends this poor lady was so shocked that I chose to be nice instead of angry, rude or whatever people choose to be, that she thanked me.
What has happened to us as a society when we’re surprised that someone chose to behave well? Have we sunk that far that being angry or mean-spirited has become the norm? Come on friends, let’s be nice. Push that way with me and we can make a difference. Let’s take back some ground. Let’s do it because Jesus said we should love one another and that’s a good place to start. If you don’t believe in Jesus, then let’s do it for the world we’re leaving for our children. Let’s do it because life is short and heavy and ugly enough without being mean.
Friends, I’m not talking about war and other major heavy issues. Sometimes nice is not the correct response. I’m talking about the simple interactions of daily life. We can be nicer than we’re being. We can choose to treat each other with a basic level of respect that shouldn’t require being thanked.
My sister just told me about an experience with the dish company Corelle. She was ordering a basic set of dishes online and made a mistake in her order. She ordered black (pictured above) instead of navy blue. She called to ask about switching them out. The company sent her what she wanted for no additional cost and simply asked that she donate the other set to the charity of her choice. She was shocked. They ate the cost for her mistake. That’s grace. That’s nice.
That’s a company making the right choice. Without a doubt, they have earned her business for life. And mine, too, for that matter. They chose to put respecting and being nice to people first. Each of us has the ability to choose to do life this way. Choose to be decent, respectful and nice as often as possible.
If we want to make the world better or do what Jesus would do, then we need to step up and choose the high road a little more often. When that waitress messes up your order, that other driver pulls out in front of you, when one of your fellow humans makes a mistake that you could also make – that’s your chance. Flip the script and choose nice.
Let’s create a world where being nice isn’t a surprise.
