02/06/2026
Grace Isn’t Weakness
Today I experienced something very violating.
I dropped my phone on Monday in the driveway and it broke the screen, but it also damaged it so badly I couldn’t access it. I run two businesses and I write on my phone. Losing that, even for seconds, can create havoc on our sense of security and peace of mind.
I took it to a local store and they replaced the screen within about two hours, and I was off and back to daily life.
Today I walked into the post office here and was met with love from the workers for leaving a review. They had received some bad ones for things not their fault. Looking from the outside in, I saw how it was perceived, but I also knew the people well because I sell online through my Etsy shop. It wasn’t true. It was a small gesture of grace for the one mainly picked upon.
I go into this post office almost every day because I ship items daily for my online store, Blastfrompasttoys on Etsy. During the Christmas season, I can drop off 30–40 packages in a single day.
In the beginning, Nikita was there, and we got to know each other quickly. Then came Renee… or as everyone else seems to call her, “the blonde woman.” At first, I’ll admit, I also thought she seemed rude or unfriendly. But what I took as rude was really just a woman focused on her job, dealing with a constant flow of people who expect service but never speak.
We’ve all gotten so used to machines that sometimes we forget how to interact with actual people.
So I made a choice.
I started speaking to her.
I learned her name.
I said hello every single time, whether she was helping me or not.
And you know what? She now talks to me every time too.
We all have good and bad days. Say hello to Renee. She isn’t rude or mean—she’s doing her job, and she doesn’t know if you’re someone who wants to talk unless you show kindness first.
Learn the names of the people in your local post office. Ask them how their day is. That job is stressful, especially during the holidays. A smile, a greeting, or even a moment of genuine connection makes all the difference.
I’ve never seen Renee smile so big as I did today in the post office.
It really made me understand the importance of seeing others.
It’s also the reason I was looking at reviews—because I left that review two months ago. They just saw it.
When I was looking at my other reviews, I noticed one I didn’t post. It was for the business I had my phone fixed at. I was in shock. Someone there had gone into my phone and left a five-star review under my name.
I knew who did it. I was very upset. Trust had been broken.
I called the store and spoke with the manager. He asked me to come back to the store. At first, there wasn’t much said to acknowledge what happened. I spoke with the owner. I told him the Alabama Digital Act was in place to protect people from this type of privacy violation.
The young woman who did it was in her late teens, maybe early twenties—old enough to know this wasn’t okay.
I was asked what they could do to make it right. I asked him what he thought would make it right. He stated a full refund and that they would cover another repair whenever I needed one.
I stated, “Sir, do you honestly believe I trust anyone in this store now? I do not.”
I reiterated how violating this felt. My entire life is on that phone. I don’t know if she read private conversations, stole login information, or stored credit card details.
He just listened.
I honestly believe they thought I wanted money. I wanted the opportunity to hold the young woman accountable for her actions. I wanted an apology. I wanted a refund. I wanted to give her grace as well.
The owner promised he would have her call me. The manager gave me a refund. I left.
About twenty minutes later, I got a phone call from the manager with the young woman on the line. I said hello and called her by name. She said, “I’m sorry for whatever happened.” But she didn’t truly apologize or claim responsibility for her actions.
This was an opportunity for me to teach her what accountability means, but also show the love of Jesus.
She is from a different culture and does not believe in Jesus.
I said her name again and told her that wasn’t truly an apology because she never admitted what she did wrong. I told her she needed to apologize and state exactly what she did that she was apologizing for. I told her I could file a police report for these actions, but I was giving her the chance to make it right.
She then finally understood that I required complete acknowledgement of her actions. She stated what she did. I asked her why she thought it was okay. She didn’t really have an answer.
I said her name again and told her that we all make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time, but in order to learn from them, we have to admit we did them and ask forgiveness.
I told her I am a Christian and Jesus shows us all grace. I thank God for showing me grace every day.
I accepted her apology.
She kept saying thank you, and she said she wanted to see me and hug me.
Why?
Because I could have gotten her fired. The owner stated he would fire her. I told him I think this is a teaching moment. She is very young. Let me talk with her—and he did.
I pray the outcome left a mark of Jesus she wouldn’t otherwise have been exposed to.
Grace doesn’t lift people. It leaves room for them to stand.
