Sure, some people are pretty rude.
But most people are only rude sometimes.
And those sometimes are pretty rare. Rarely are people never rude at all.
Everyoneโs had a bad day before. Itโs really not that hard to get moody or upset. I mean, whenever I go without food for a few hours I get pretty grouchy, myself. Sometimes, itโs easy to get irritable and ultimately, irritated.
Levi Smithโs day started poorly amid a rather rude exchange before self-reflection yielded self-correction.
A simple act of unkindess caused him to reassess his actions and future decisions. Levi starts honestly,
โI was rude to someone today.โ


Everyone makes mistakes.
โWe are on vacation out of state this week in North Carolina. I walked into our usual donut joint with my mask on. The owner walked up to me and started taking our order. In retrospect, I should have given more attention to her weary countenance. I took one side of my mask off so I could continue my order without being muffled. Without hesitation, she said, โSir, please put your mask on.'โ
Interesting, yet unsurprising. A lot of hostility surrounds the proper use of masks right now, particularly in the United States. Somehow, the use (and disuse) of masks has become a partisan issue, when itโs simply a general health issue.
โMy flesh convinced me this was the time for me to be a patriot. I put the mask loop over my ear and told her we wouldnโt be needing any donuts after all. She seemed to shrug my response off, so I continued. I didnโt yell. I didnโt make a scene. But I looked at her straight in the face and told her she was rude. We exchanged pleasantries, and I left.โ
Patriotism and logical, general health safety certainly arenโt mutually exclusive โ the opposite, actually.
Levi admittedly lost his cool.


Leviโs a spiritual person, and certainly not a hateful one,
โ2 miles down the road, the Holy Spirit smote my heart. I stood for my personal belief while ignoring humility and grace. I turned the van around and drove back to the donut shop. I entered the shop, and the same woman was standing there. I walked right up to her, with my mask on, looked her in the eye, and saidโฆ
Thatโs very touching. It can take a lot of humility to grow as a person sometimes.
โโI. Am. Sorry.'โ


Righting his wrongs.
โWith workers and other customers looking on, I asked for her forgiveness and told her I should have been more gracious and humble. She opened up to me for a few minutes about how tough the current situation was on her as a former nurse and current small business owner. She was tired. She was weary. She was worried.โ
Levi pulls out the feather pen for his next assertion,
She didnโt need a seasonal patriot. She needed a gracious Christian.


People are forgiving.
โI purchased my donuts, we laughed, and I left. When I got back to the van, I explained to my children that it was important we set ourselves aside for the well-being of others.โ
The following may be the takeaway message of his entire experience:
We will back for more donuts this week. Iโll be wearing my mask the whole time, making sure I am a blessing and not a bully. And I didnโt have to give up a shred of freedom or dignity to do so.
Heโs exactly right. Thereโs no loss of freedom by wearing a mask. Itโs just responsible and considerate. We share spaces, and our actions impact others. Wearing a mask shouldnโt be an issue. It isnโt an issue. Masks are hardly an inconvenience.
Levi looks towards his religion and the actions of Jesus Christ to illuminate his own.
Yes, be a patriot. But donโt let your personal beliefs drown out your faith and witness. All we are enduring will one day fade away, but the word of the Lord will endure forever.โ
Remember, wearing a mask and patriotism are not mutually exclusive! Those who love their country should love the people in it, right? At least enough to care about their general health.


And if wearing a mask to protect those around you isnโt patriotic, what exactly should be valued in a nation? Ideally, you should (and do) have the choice to wear a mask. But the choice is easy. When the health of others in public spaces comes into question, their rights and needs must be heard, too.
Ultimately, Leviโs experience and ensuing words are incredibly sincere. He recognizes the rudeness of his actions and proceeds to right his wrongs.
Levi agrees โ just wear a mask in public. Itโs really that simple. If someoneโs asking you to wear a mask in public, itโs likely because they feel at risk, themselves.
Although it might be offputting at first, given the known contagiousness and the unknowns of the coronavirus, wearing a maskโs just the reasonable thing to do. Plus, the more vigilant we act now, the quicker things will โgo back to normal.โ
Be sure to wear a mask!
Jesus Christ would approve โ love thy neighbor.


Whatโs your takeaway from Leviโs day? Have you had any bad or embarrassing public mask experiences? Whatโs your take on whatโs going on surrounding mask use?
Hopefully, Leviโs experiences can inspire others frustrated by current health and safety norms. These are clearly difficult times, but we must all take care to rid ourselves of the virus sooner than later.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.