Everybody, Always

two sizes too big for him. His job was to check IDs to see if people were
who they said they were.
Sometimes people pop out in a crowd. It’s not always because they’re
handsome or beautiful or the one up front or on a stage. What makes
them stand out is they’re not trying to get any attention at all. I’m
married to one of these people. We’ve got three kids and their spouses,
Ashley and Jon, who are these kinds of people too. It’s hard to list what
makes someone catch your eye in this way. It’s probably a combination
of many things, including humility, kindness, quiet resolve, and hard
work.
Adrian stood five-foot-nothing on his tiptoes and weighed less than a
bag of chips. He looked to be in his midsixties, but it was hard to tell. He
was a strange mix of youthful enthusiasm, calm wisdom, and deep love.
Adrian had a sturdy presence about him that came from many years of
tireless work. He walked with the swagger of a high school wrestling
letterman and the humbleness of a monk.
I travel quite a bit and had passed by Adrian at the front of the airport
security line a dozen times over the course of a few weeks. Each time, I
noticed something special about him. No matter who he met at the front
of the line, Adrian always treated them with love and respect. The people
in line could have been distracted by the events in their lives, frustrated
by the wait, sad at leaving, or excited about arriving—it didn’t matter to
Adrian. He greeted everybody with his quiet and sincere brand of love,
which made things somehow much better. This person I observed from
afar each week fascinated me, and I knew I wanted to meet him.
Nearing the front of the line one day, I decided I’d thank this kind
man for what he did each day and, in particular, for the way he welcomed
strangers like me each morning. When I got to the front of the line, I
reached out my right hand as I handed my ID to him with my left. “Hi,
I’m Bob,” I said. “I’ve passed by you a dozen times and I just wanted to
thank you for the way you treat each person in line. It’s really amazing.
The way you treat people reminds me a lot of the way Jesus loved.”