One of the most aggravating realities of working in a drive thru window is the ever present cell phone that SO MANY people are on when they pull up!  I understand that occasionally the phone actually rings while customers are in the drive thru line, and they feel compelled to answer it.

HOWEVER.  For every 10 calls, one is usually a genuine “oops I am here on the phone” apology…and there are 9 others that are on evidently the most important call of their lives, or they actually pick up the phone and dial while waiting for their food!!  This results in several things:  repeating orders several times to make sure they agree with it, repeating the total, repeating requests for condiments, and interpreting sign language to figure out what they want.  It is an extremely frustrating process for me and the cars behind them, because their line gets longer due to the increased time I am having to take.  It is also frustrating to the customer, because they don’t always get what they want how they wanted it, since they couldn’t stop talking or listening long enough to really communicate with me.

It is also interesting to me that their distraction affects the whole purpose of my being at work.  I am employed to provide the customer the best experience they can have, each time they come.  I want to be friendly, helpful, and fulfill their orders with excellence.  And I want them to feel important and glad that they came.

So, what is the point of this story?  Just this.  God has used this repeated scenario in my life to for a very distinct purpose…to show me exactly what happens when distraction is allowed to enter my times with Him.  There are so many times that I “drive up” – approach His throne – and am already “listening” to something else.  The cares of the upcoming day, the worries about family, or work, or the enemy, trying to divert my attention.  Sometimes it’s innocent – it happens before I “get in line” to approach the Lord.  A thought pops up right as I open the Bible, I remember something from the day before, etc.

Other times, though, I am just as guilty of spiritually multitasking as those who come to my window fully engaged on their phone and not willing to put it down!  I come to God in a rush, wanting great “service” (love, kindness and mercy) and yet not willing to stop what I am doing (listening to something else) to really pay attention.  I want Him to provide what I need (spiritual food) and also I try to get Him to make it faster.  No WONDER I come away from some of my quiet times frustrated and feeling like my prayers didn’t make it further than the ceiling.  No WONDER I go through some days feeling like I didn’t “get the right order” or didn’t get “listened to right”…because I started off all wrong!  You cannot approach the Lord, our Savior, our King, with any attitude other than that of complete and total devotion, and complete and total attention to Him and Him alone.  He deserves no less, and WE need to remember that!

So now, when I have one of “those” customers, I stop and thank the Lord for His reminder to me, and I commit anew to making sure that my times with Him are the of the highest quality!