Lunch Lady OA
This is one of my favorite OA’s, submitted by my friend (and Intervarsity staff member) Jacci Turner, from Reno, NV. Jacci’s story illustrates several ordinary attempts over a period of time, with someone who she saw nearly every week.
Miss Patty
I work at a local Community College and often buy lunch in the cafeteria. When I first encountered the lunch lady, she was taking my money. I noticed that she had short gray hair and the kind of finger nail paint that changes according to holiday. I also noticed that her nametag said “Patty.”
The next week I told her I liked her nails, and prayed for her behind her back.
The next week I asked how she was, and listened for a while. She said she had a bad chest cold that wasn’t going away.
The following week I asked how her cold was and she shared that it wasn’t getting better and that she was worried because she is a breast cancer survivor and she was afraid that the cancer might have come back.
It was two more weeks before I saw Miss Patty again and I asked how she was. She said that the doctors told her the cancer was back! We teared up together and I promised to pray.
This week I brought Miss Patty a present. It was a book called “Thanks for the Mammogram.” It is a book on facing cancer with faith, hope and humor. I also gave her a card thanking her for always being there to smile at me, and I offered to go to treatment with her sometime. She grabbed my had and said, “Thank you so much!” Then she asked me to come around the other side of the booth to give her a hug.
I’m grateful to God that I noticed Miss Patty. God has planted her firmly in my heart and I can’t stop praying for her.
-Jacci Turner
Jacci noticed someone that she had SEEN lots of times before. She took a few mental notes about the lady who took her money at the lunch counter. Nothing bold or dramatic, but it got her connected to “Patty” in a way she hadn’t been before. The next time she prayed for her covertly. This connected her in a deeper way. The following visit she asked, “How are you?” and then just listened. The conversation continued the next time she saw her, and went deeper when “Miss Patty” shared her concern about cancer.
These are all very ordinary attempts. Anyone could do this much, but most people don’t. Jacci fell in love with Miss Patty, and ended up caring about her so much that she offered to go to treatments with her. Her final line says it all for me: “God has planted her firmly in my heart and I can’t stop praying for her.”
We call these ordinary and doable practices evangelism. You can call it whatever you like. Just do it. It will change your life and it will “plant” people firmly in your heart that you never even noticed before. When that happens, well…everything changes, including you.
January 6th, 2008 · 11 Comments
Categories: OA Stories
Jesse said
am January 7 2008 @ 10:11 am
Thanks Jim! for promoting this in The Church.
Richard said
am January 7 2008 @ 10:44 am
In a similar vein, I always try to use the person’s name when in a store or a restraunt. Many of these jobs are thankless and too many people treat these folks as drones there only to serve.
They are Jesus in the flesh and deserve to be personally recognized. Their service is as valuable as anyone’s - no better or worse than mine.
Great insights.
Pastor Barry Hill said
am January 7 2008 @ 5:11 pm
I have been praying for a UPS store in my neighborhood. I asked the manager If I could pray for them and how. I know everyone who works in the store and they know me. The other day I went in and was being helped by one of the ladies and Phil, another employee who was helping another customer saw me and said, “Barry, I need prayer.” I said OK Phil I will be praying for you. The lady customer who he was helping looked over at me and said, “well if you are praying I will take some prayer. My name is Pam.” I walked out smiling and praying for both Phil and Pam. had I not “connected” with Phil and the others in the store this would have never happened! Praise God!
Randy said
am January 7 2008 @ 6:02 pm
Very cool, Pastor B! Tell us a little more about how you got to this point (where you know everyone in the store and they know you). Obviously they knew you well enough to know you were the “praying sort”.
This is a wonderful story. I will be posting it as it’s own OA story shortly.
But tell us…how did it all begin? What led you to pray for a UPS store, of all things? What led up to you asking the manager if you could pray for them that made that request not such a weird thing? I guess I’m wondering what the pieces were that got you “connected” with Phil and the others in the store?
Jacci said
am January 8 2008 @ 1:08 am
An update on Miss Patty,
She did have cancer and had to quite her job. Our Intervasity chapter at the college did a “We love Miss Patty” fund raiser week. We raised over $1000 for her family and she was shocked that total strangers would care for her this way. If you think of it, she and her family can still use our prayers.
Randy said
am January 8 2008 @ 1:22 am
Thanks for the update, Jacci! I can’t imagine how much the fundraiser meant to Miss Patty…more than the money, which I’m sure was really helpful as well. Way to lead.
Helen said
am January 12 2008 @ 9:50 am
Jacci, thanks for sharing how you continued to help “Miss Patty”. You’ve put a lot of effort into it!
I’m sorry she did turn out to have cancer
Beth said
am January 15 2008 @ 12:15 am
Poignant true story. Thank you for reminding us to listen to that still small voice, and when we can’t hear that, listen to the lady behind the counter with the holiday painted nails.
John Gallegos said
am January 16 2008 @ 9:07 pm
I read this stuff and think this is what being a Christian is really about.
I am sooooooo encouraged. Thank you
Helen said
am January 17 2008 @ 9:40 am
John, I’m glad it encouraged you.
Randy said
am January 17 2008 @ 2:51 pm
Thanks, John. It isn’t totally what being a Christian is about, of course, but it does help some of us get closer to what Jesus likely intended. Thanks for stopping by!
And thanks Beth, for the nice recap.