Our Chickfila, where I work, was built in 2008. It has been renovated once, on the inside only. However, as our community has continued to grow the traffic at our store has at least doubled in the past two years. The only problem with this is our parking lot. The drive thru window, where I work, is on the south side of the building, with the order screen in the back of the building. During rush times, the line to get to that screen (or the outside order takers) can wrap all the way BACK to that screen, and sometimes out to the road. This leads to essentially two full lines of traffic..one line trying to get to the pickup window, the other trying to get around to actually order!

In theory, this isn’t always a disaster. The car at the pickup window moves off, the next car moves up, the line shifts, and etc. However, it usually ends up with no one paying attention to our “please allow room for the drive thru lane to leave” and cars squeeze up as close as they can and block those trying to leave. This leads to gridlock. The people with food can’t leave, so no one moves. And so the jockeying for position begins. Add to this the cars PARKED on that side, who need to back out and leave, and it can get ugly.

And why? Because its time to get to work. Or its only a 30 minute lunch. Or lots of people are running late. Or its just been a bad day for someone. And the spirit of “not in MY lane!” can take over quickly. We’ve heard it all. “I HAVE to order NOW” “It’s not MY fault they can’t drive” “I was here first, I am NOT letting them in!” “They can just wait it out like I did!”

In reality, however, there is a very spiritual occurrence going on here. Yep, it’s in the Bible even, because Jesus had to teach his disciples about it on more than one occasion. Here’s the spiritual issue..none of us really like being SECOND. Being first looks like (and sometimes is) more fun, and more fulfilling. It’s the only measurement of importance and success. After all, everyone knows that coming in second really means “first loser”.

Now in sports, business, school and some other places, first is a worthy goal, and striving for it is NOT wrong. If that goal spurs us on to succeed and do our best, then awesome. The Bible has many verses that reference doing well, giving every effort, and working to the best of our abilities. So let’s put that aside and go back to the “me first!” attitude we were talking about.

It is officially the Christmas season, and for way too many people, it’s the busiest, most pressure filled time of the year. Everything seems to happen at once, and in honesty by New Years it many times seems like a blur. Therefore the “me first” attitude has an awesome opportunity to rear its ugly head and come out in even the normally calm and humble.

AND YET. Christmas is also the time when it’s easiest to share Jesus…if we just pay attention. Even the most hardened lost person will usually attend some kind of service at a church during December. A lot of people are experiencing the first Christmas without a loved one, without a job, with a new diagnosis of cancer..the list goes on. It’s a beautiful season too..and it makes it so much easier to help people see the real beauty of Christmas. There are prople all around who need encouragement, love, support..and especially Jesus.

So let’s all decide to spend THIS Christmas being SECOND. Give up the parking spot, you need the exercise anyway. Let someone cut in line ahead of you without complaining. Smile at the person waiting on you..it may be the only one they get. Tip 20-25% and make a server’s day. Just be kind and gentle and unrushed, and you will be a great witness for Jesus.

And most of all, use every chance you get to tell someone about God, and His Son Jesus..and about the rest of the story..His death on the cross and His resurrection. You will never ever feel like the “first loser” again, you will experience the joy of second.