As I started inching my way out of childhood, I thought it was time to get a haircut and a real job. I mostly skipped the haircut and went straight for the job.
I was immediately hired by a gentleman of good discernment at a local drug store. Due to my physical limitations, I was unsure of how well this was going to work out. Fortunately, I found myself able to unload trucks and tote 50 lb sacks of potting soil with ease.
For the most part, our customers made this an interesting place to work, especially since we sold more beer than we did prescriptions. In fact, our beer prices were so cheap that we supplied many of the local watering holes with an abundance of the golden lager.
More than a few of our patrons stopped by to refuel on the weekends, which made for some interesting conversations at checkout. One elderly gentleman came in often, so well groomed that he looked like he was headed to a prom. Plus, his trademark cologne would arrive at the counter long before he did. He was always polite and always a bit tipsy, but never boring.
Then there was another fellow who was a big fan of the Schlitz Malt Liquor bull and he grabbed the big fella by the horns pretty often. He would slither to the cash register and gingerly ask, "How much money, please?" Even while asking, he was already retrieving money from every conceivable location on his person. This guy wasn't consuming alcohol. It was consuming him.
Though I've never been one given to intoxication, I did have a gift where beer was concerned. Our coolers needed restocking every 30 seconds and I often reloaded them, regularly finding a way to puncture a can in the process. Usually, this would happen right before I was headed to some church event and it was amazing how many of those cans would drench me before I could take cover.
I can still see those sweet little church ladies as their smiles turned into an odd state of bewilderment as I passed them smelling like the Budweiser Clydesdales. I'm pretty sure they would have preferred that I "hoof" it right on out of there, but I couldn't because I was often speaking at the event.
Yet, alcohol wasn't the only trouble brewing for me in those days. My nose tended to be my weak spot at work. I discovered this on two occasions, the first coming while painting the stockroom. After spending half a shift putting a fresh coat on the walls, I returned to the front to wait on customers, but most of them waited on me.
The paint fumes took me to an unforeseen high that had my head spinning. After each customer, I would lay across the counter and beg for a relief that escaped me for 24 hours. I acted as if I had taken a ride on the blue bull from the Schlitz can. Had I thought it would have helped, I would have ridden him and taken him for a swim.
The other incident occurred when a baby got loose in the store. He got loose from his mama, along with his diaper and his bowels. That little devil left a trail from one end of the store to the other and so did I, but mine was a trail of tears. The pungent aroma that arose from his little accident indicated that he may have enjoyed a great bowl of skunk soup before coming to the store.
I found a new strength to get me through mopping up this travesty to my nasal passages. I decided breathing would be best suited for another day, so I held my breath for most of the cleaning process while I swore off having children unless they came potty trained.
My years in the drug store taught me a lot about overcoming obstacles, both real and imagined. The things I was sure I couldn't do turned out to be some of my easiest tasks. Had you told me that a paint brush and a diaper could bring me to my knees, I would have laughed.
We rarely know what obstacles will get the best of us in life, but God knows, and He is ready to walk us through them. I would prefer that He walk us around them, but He rarely does. For those pesky thoughts that limit our achievements, we should intentionally step past those imaginary boundaries and test our limits. We never know we've bitten off more than we can chew until our mouth is full.
I think a major reason that God allows difficulties to come our way is that creativity and strength comes from facing situations that are far beyond our comfort zones. These places remind us of our vulnerability and dependency on God.
Whatever poop hits your fan this week, hold your breath and press through it, knowing that every momentary affliction will pass. Keep challenging yourself to accomplish more than what seems easy. God is always a few steps beyond what's comfortable, but He is always close and that is all that matters.