The Taxi Driver and the Straw

This is a short story of another way God was growing in me a love for the Thai people, even the day I was leaving to come back to America.

The day I flew out, my taxi driver was set to pick me up at 6:45am. He arrived, and out stepped this little Thai man, who was probably between 65-70, about 5', and probably weighed less than 110 pounds. He was SO cute!! He picked up my bags (which were almost bigger than him) and hoisted them into the trunk. With the language barrier, we didn't really talk, but we exchanged smiles.

So, I had gotten a bad head cold two days prior, and thus had packed tissues for an army while we drove to the airport. I had been blowing my brains out for the first 20 minutes, fearful to even look at him because I know how Thai's are about health (they wear those health masks when they have a cold and I had no mask!). And I was praying he wasn't flinching most of the way. After I took a brief break from my blowing, I began to gulp down my Nalgene bottle (one of the big ones!).

Only the Lord knows I'm the sentimental type and would treasure this moment for years to come. As I was gulping down my Nalgene bottle, the taxi driver finally spoke up. And he was scolding me! He handed me a straw, and watched to make sure I'd use it (we were stuck in traffic, so he had time). You see, Thai's don't understand why foreigners gulp out of bottles or cups, instead of using straws. They always use straws for their cold drinks, and you're always given one at restaurants and convenience stores. So I stuck the straw in the bottle and for the next 10 minutes, like a chastised little girl, sipped this big Nalgene bottle with a straw. Every now and then I would look over at him and smile. I had only known this man for 30 minutes, but I was brimming with love for him. Though it was a bittersweet day for me, I felt so much joy and love for the Thai people as I flew out that morning. Can you see why Thai's are so adorable?!

Please be praying for this man, along with the rest of the Thai people. Pray that since he is older, that he would see the emptiness of his life-long "good" works, and would want Christ, who is the righteousness we need.