I Screwed up at Subway. Bad.

I Screwed up at Subway. Bad.
Dustin Barker

I Screwed up at Subway. Bad.

I want to punch myself in the face sometimes. I went to Subway yesterday to pick up some lunch (FebruANY footlong sub, $5. Heck yes!). There was an elderly lady ahead of me.

I looked over as she held on tightly to her $20. She looked frail. She was even shaking from being cold, despite her sweater and jacket. Almost immediately, the thought of paying for her lunch crossed my mind. I listened as she went through her order while I tried to pay attention and order my own. Once she approached the cash register, she asked for a bag of chips. Up until that point, I planned to pay for her lunch; but the extra $1.50 for a bag of chips caused me to second guess myself. She paid. She left. I never said anything.

I couldn’t get that scenario out of my head. It’s still haunting me. What the heck is wrong with me? Am I really THAT cheap, or was I actively looking for an excuse not to have to pay for her meal? I’ve replayed the situation over in my head at least 100 times since yesterday; and everytime, I say I would’ve paid for it. But I didn’t. Why? To be honest, I don’t know. I guess it’s because the $6.50 for her meal was $6.50 that I could keep in my pocket. $6.50, really? I skipped any opportunity to bless someone else over $6.50? It’s embarrassing, really.

In truth, if I heard someone else tell this story, I would have thought of them as a selfish, cheap jerk. And yet, it’s so easy for all of us to ignore helping others. This isn’t the first time I’ve done it, and unfortunately, it probably won’t be the last time.

After beating myself up over it for 2 days, I made up my mind that I won’t willingly miss out on an opportunity again; but it still doesn’t undo what transpired yesterday. I suppose the only thing I can do is try to learn from the experience and grow from it. I screwed up at Subway. Bad. But rather than sit around and dwell on it, I guess I’ll go back out looking for new opportunities to show love. I encourage you to do the same. Don’t dwell on missed opportunities, but rather, focus on the fresh opportunities that are brought with each new day.

About the Author

Dustin Barker
I'm just a speaker, pastor, writer, and entrepreneur...among other things. I love inspiring people as well as being inspired. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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  • Tray Burch

    Awww my brother, that guilty feeling will probably bother you for a while, but what if I told you it’s the tip of iceberg for us Christian and the battle of our own selfishness. We both know that the Bible says,” More bless to give than receive,” and we know catchy phrases like “You have to give in order to make room for more,” but is that truly how we feel, “NO.” Most Christian, Dustin (you know this I am sure), would rather store up their treasures here and forsake the poor, the widows, and those who really need assistance. I feel for you because I have drop on multiple occasions, however more often now…I’ve learned God giveth and God taketh but I am going to make it a little harder for him take it if I just give all! Bro, shake it off and give to it all next time…NO MORE HOLDING BACK!!

    • Dustin Barker

      SO true. It’s a common battle for everyone I think. The crazy thing is, when you help others, it’s the best feeling in the world. And yet, we still struggle with doing it. Thanks for the encouragement!