"Have a nice day!"

 

"Excuse me, please."

 

"Thank you, sir."

 

It is wonderful, Lord, to hear and to receive such gracious gestures of civilized speech.  

 

These are words, however, that seem increasingly to be the half-forgotten gestures from another time and world. But, how wonderfully pleasant these civilized words are to hear, dear God. They lubricate the sometimes abrasive connections we have with one another. They help to manage the hectic traffic of our human wills as we try to move in and out of one another's lives. They provide the respect that is so vital in risking the openness and trust we want to have with one another.

 

Dear God, help me to be more polite and courteous toward others. Keep me aware of how deeply wounded others can sometimes feel when they are treated without civility. Lord, I know it is not easy to always have the best manners or to use the right gestures that are needed for the difficult moments in our lives. Help me to find the most civil and gracious way to encounter the people I meet today. Please don't let any rudeness or brutishness on my part diminish another person's experience today.  

 

Oh, and by the way, thank you very much for listening to me.

Love,

Larry

dr_minister_larry@rotb.org