Month: July 2015

Random Acts of WHAT??

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We’ve all heard of random acts of kindness, in particular when someone in the front of a fast food line pays for the person behind them, and next for the person behind them, etc.  There have even been reports of these acts reaching 50 or more in some lines.  And it’s a lot of fun and a blessing for everyone involved.

HOWEVER.  The other day at work, when I was working the drive through, the customer at my window paid his bill, got his food, and was about to drive off, when he stopped and said, “You know, I want to pay for the person behind me.”  I asked if he knew him, and he said no, he just wanted to do it.  I took his second payment and he drove off happy.  The next customer pulled up, and boy….he was in a big truck, had a hat, dog, and gun, and was very big and rough and tumble looking.  He handed me his card and I told him he didn’t have to pay because the person ahead of him paid for his food.  He scowled at me while leaving his card stretched out and said, “WHY????”  I was taken back because of his response but I managed to stammer out because God loved him, and the customer and I wanted him to know that.  He still had his card out, and said, “that’s ridiculous”, took his food, and drove off without even a thank you!

I thought about that encounter for the rest of the day, and was reminded of what the REAL reason for those acts SHOULD be.  Usually when we think about that kind of giving, we picture grateful people overjoyed with the blessing, renewed with hope, desperate and on their last dime, etc.  And those are all great endings, but they don’t always happen, and we usually don’t hear about them if they don’t.

Which leads to this…sometimes we have a very rosy and distorted picture of what doing ministry looks like.  We hear “success” stories often in the ministry, about great rallies, great attendance, great worship, great everything.  And sometimes we get caught up in thinking that if it doesn’t end up “great” then we failed – or the event failed – or God just didn’t show up and work like we thought He would.  And that’s totally not true!  My first customer did what he felt led to do – even though it was at the last minute – and I believe God will use that.  It’s not his fault, or God’s, that the other person reacted the way he did – it just happened.  But it didn’t make the act any less special, or less fruitful..and if he ever finds out what did happen,

So when you are facing a “thankless” situation, or feel like you’re not being used, or get a bad reaction when doing good, please remember this customer…and keep on “paying” for the person behind you, and doing what God tells you!  Because sometimes, in GOD’s timing, we do make an impact…and GOD is in control of the results!

Just One More Try, Please

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thGHZWSY2EI had the most interesting experience yesterday as I worked the drive through window.  Very few people pay with cash anymore, it’s all about debit and yes, even credit cards.  So the car at my window then had two people in it, and they had separate orders.  I called up the first order, gave her that total, and she gave me her debit card.  Which promptly flashed up “NOT APPROVED”.  I tried it again with the same result.  Rather than being distressed, she whipped out another card and said, “here, try this one.”  This one was also not approved, whereupon she got out yet a THIRD card and said “try this one”.  It finally went through and she received her food.  Same car, next order, and I gave her passenger the total and she handed over her card.  Guess what??  Same result as her friend’s!!  NOT APPROVED.  She also got out another card, while flashing a wallet full of them, and gave it to her friend who gave it to me, and said, “try this one”.  I KID YOU NOT!  That one actually went through, and she also received her food and they happily drove off.

I, however, was totally shocked.  Between those 2 ladies, it took FIVE cards to get one approval for each of them.  And each one of those ladies had a wallet FULL of cards!  As I drove home later that day, I was still mulling that over, and God clearly spoke to my heart about the present condition of our world, and the lost people in it.  Everyday there are people who act as though God will treat them just like their fastfood restaurant at the end of their lives.  If one “card” (i.e. religion) doesn’t work, they are sure another one will.  They anticipate getting to heaven with a wallet full of religions, and if God doesn’t accept one, then surely He will look on another one with favor.  So there’s no big rush, no planning and no anticipation of any bad ending…they will just be ushered into the “pearly gates” by the “good man upstairs” who will accept any and all “payment” for their sin debt.

How wrong!  And how sad!  And also how guilty we, as God’s true children who have accepted His blood on the cross as the ONLY payment for our sin, are in not helping them see the error of their ways.  Not only that, but sometimes we are RELUCTANT to say anything, or to share our testimony, so they won’t die in their sin!  I came away from this experience determined that every time I see someone with a wallet full of credit/debit cards, I will be reminded that they, too, may be relying on the wrong payment for their sins – and maybe I am the one God wants to use to correct that!

Sometimes Love Stinks!

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I see a variety of people every day at work, and I try to give the best possible customer service.  It is usually a very successful venture, because most people are easy to help and easy to please.  However..there are always those who will take that desire to help and make it a nearly impossible situation because they’re having a bad day, or miscommunication, or something else.

However, today was a day when loving and serving really did stink.  We have a couple of regulars who just don’t know or are not able to attend to hygiene, and I had them all today.  One of them in particular is a favorite of mine, because he is so good natured and always thanks me…I’ll call him Jim for privacy.  Jim is in his seventies, has COPD and I think mostly lives in shelters or his car.  And while he is never clean..hair, beard, or clothes, some days he’s a 10 on the odor smell.  Today was one of those and it was really hard to take his order and stay in his “space” without being physically ill.  When I delivered his food I was again challenged.  

AND YET!  In spite of his physical uncleanness, he has a much worse problem..he has no personal relationship with Jesus..and he is far dirtier spiritually than he ever will be physically!  I love Jim, and I treat him with dignity and respect..because that’s exactly how Jesus see him!  Jim is a self titled “everythingist”..he believes everyone is going to heaven no matter their belief..and if I am to have any hope of sharing Jesus with him I have to be willing to work through the dirt and odor so he can hear the Truth.

And why?  Because Jesus looks at all of us, before we accept him, the same way He does Jim!  I was dirty, lost, smelling of sin and pride and the dirt of this world, and He looked past all that, reached down, and saved me!  So next time you find yourself where love and/or witnessing really stinks, praise the Lord for His goodness to you and press on!

I’m Not Supposed to Have That!

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I have one of the most interesting jobs now that I am back in customer service, and it never ceases to surprise, touch, and amaze me – especially when God uses those encounters to remind me of His truths and His ways.  The other day was no exception.  I had a customer come in with a biscuit in her hand, and she said, “Is this pork??”  I asked her for the biscuit, and she said that she had just been through the drive thru, and had to know if it was PORK.  I turned the biscuit over in my hand, and it clearly stated “sausage” on the front of it.  I replied, “Yes ma’am, this is pork.”

“I CAN’T have that!” she immediately yelled back, “it’s too much on there!” So I asked her if she ordered a sausage biscuit, thinking maybe we gave her the wrong one.  “Yes, I ordered sausage.”  And I said, “And you got sausage??”  At this point my supervisor came over and I explained that the lady did indeed order a sausage biscuit, and received a sausage biscuit – at which point the lady yelled again, “I ordered that, but I CAN’T have that much!  I’m not even supposed to HAVE pork!”

After we gave the customer a chicken biscuit instead and sent her out the door, we all spent a lot of time trying to figure out WHY she had ordered a sausage biscuit if she wasn’t supposed to have pork.  And then I remembered her stating at first, “there’s too much on here”.  So the bottom line was that she was trying to CHEAT, and have sausage, but NOT get in trouble by having too much.  As if it was ok to cheat just a little.

As I was shaking my head and laughing at her, God spoke to me loud and clear…LOUD and clear.  He reminded me that we are just like that with His commandments and desires for our lives!  He says “no”, and we say ok – but then the next time an issue comes up, we are like, “well, maybe just a little bit”.  Or “maybe just this once – what could that hurt?”  We hope that we can get by with a little cheating.

And you know what?  Sometimes it seems we do!  Sometimes God lets us get the sausage biscuit (our way) to teach us better..and we find ourselves, just like my customer, with WAY more than we bargained for!  And unlike my customer, we can say “I’m not supposed to do that/have that!” but God doesn’t always let us give it back!  Sometimes He lets us experience just where our desires can take us, and we can be overwhelmed by the result.

So, next time you are tempted to sideswipe, detour, or cheat on what God has told you, remember – He may give you just what you think you want, and you may be surprised!