I work at an Amazon warehouse building & one of the things I love most about where I work is getting to shine one of the gifts God has blessed me most with, which is communication & love for others. This gift is especially special HERE, because there are people from all different countries, ethnicities, cultures & religions. 5 years ago, I might’ve passed by all these people with not a care for them in the world. My thoughts might’ve been: ‘they’re just factory workers. So am I. I hate this job & they probably do too.’ If it were 5 years ago, I would’ve never connected with Jean, who’s teaching me Swahili, or Emmanuel who can speak 5 languages & is helping me move up positions & opportunities within the company so quickly. …if it were 2017, I would’ve passed right by Har (name changed for privacy), a man born in Baghdad, Iraq…who talks to NO ONE…but who, last night, chose to talk to me. Har grew up in the Middle East, traveled to Egypt & eventually made his way to the U.S. As a young boy, he was frequently beaten & nearly kidnapped. When he got older, his fiancé & father were killed by ISIS & he was about to be executed in the street when the US Marines showed up & saved his life. He told me he has severe PTSD from witnessing all of that, he’s been in mental health hospitals, battled with depression & more…but always prays for & loves, the US Marines. By the end of the night, he looked at me & said, “not many people, especially Americans, want to talk to me. But you do. You are so patient & understand me. You are a patient woman and a hard worker; I could see it in your eyes.” As difficult as some may see it to be patient and really listen to others that may have broken English is an important work we can all do together to connect with others from other cultures. God led me to tell him: thank you for sharing your story with me. Thank you Lord, for allowing me the gift of communication & connection & for putting me in a place where it’s so needed.
