a letter to anne renda, woman who gave me a $20 jesus-tip

dear anne,

i'm the girl with red hair who you gave the tip to at the yavapai lodge in the grand canyon. when you checked in, i didn't even think about you. or, correction, what i thought about was that i would never think about you again. another person who was going to ask me the same questions - as if i would forget to tell you where your room was, how to get there, what your room number was or that i would forget to make you keys. i thought you'd ask me where to watch the sunset, how to ride the shuttle bus (which, by the way, is outlined clearly in the park guide given to you when you come in the park entrance), where you could see elk and how far away that cool glass overlook that you've seen on tv is (and by the way, it's 250 miles west near las vegas and it costs at least $80 to stand on the skywalk for 10 minutes). this is who i thought you'd be, because, you did, in fact, ask me one of the questions i hate the most: "will i be able to park my car near my room?" when you asked me, i immediately knew that you felt the defeat that i feel daily. the hopelessness, the frustration, the boredom, you knew how tired i was. and i knew you knew, because you sighed, kindly, and apologized - deeply, "i'm sorry. i bet you get the same questions every day."

this morning when you came to check out i recognized you. you came up to me and asked me a question that i certainly didn't mind answering - "are you allowed to take tips?" the answer is no, but i lied and quietly said that i could. i hope you realized how shy and happy i got when you asked - and i'm sure you noticed how red my face got. i finished the check out, and you slipped me a $20 bill, wrapped inside of a note that said, "Thank you."

the note also says this: thank you, we say it so often when a waitress gives us good service, when a customer buys our product, when someone gives us a helping hand. sometimes we say thanks by leaving a small tip, send a little gift to friend or hostess or when we give that warm, sincere hand-shake. i'd like to show my appreciation to you by telling you something that is of far greater value. it is simply that the greatest gift in the world can be yours for the asking. that gift is the friendship of my best friend - Jesus Christ. he took away my sin and guilt and gives me joy and peace. i find in him my life, my hope, my everything! he invites you, "come unto me, all he that labor and are heavy laden, and i will give you rest." he saves; he keeps; he satisfies! introducing him to you is the best way that i can say thank you.

i thought about crying a little when i got this letter - because yesterday was a hard day at work. and even though i don't like the whole tract thing, at all, i like you. you probably go to a chruch i wouldn't like too much, and have theologies i probably really disagree with, and you probably would think i shouldn't wear jeans to church or drink or even have a tattoo. but i like the man you're talking about, and i know you like the man i'd talk about - i still believe we're talking about the same guy. and even though He's better than $20, that $20 will buy me food for 2 weeks. so thank you. i hope you keep doing your thing.