Face Time

Another quirky “A-HA” moment! And for those of you wondering... the answer is Yes! Yes, every chance I get, I'm looking for opportunity to learn, correlate, compare, and blog... No I don't make stuff up just so I can write. If something happens to me, I always ask, “Is there a lesson to be learned here?” Sometimes there is and sometimes there's not. Sometimes it's just a funny story or silly situation. The goal is not to be super spiritual or weird, but just to share life with you. Share experiences I have and hope that it teaches you, speaks to you or just brightens your day.

Today, I was working on the headset taking orders in drive-thru and doin' my thing! Here is something however, most people don't know or realize. The person taking your order (at least at Chick-fil-A) is not usually the person who takes your money at the window and hands you your food. Today, I got done taking someone's order and my first thought after I was finished typing it all in was, “I'm so glad I don't have to deal with them at the window.” Now, first of all, I realize that sounds bad. However, it gets super frustrating when people are rude. You can easily get flustered, so sometimes, you're just glad you even got the order in the computer right! But it dawned on me that often times when people get to the window, they think that the person taking their money is who took their order, so they will start referring to the conversation or say something like, “Did you get it all in there right?” Now let me also say, just because I'm glad to be done with some people after ordering doesn't mean I don't have compassion for the person who then has to deal with them at the window, I'm just grateful to have a break from their attitude!! And I've had my fair share of time working in the window as well! Anyway, my point to all this....

I think sometimes we forget that, as believers, we deal with people every day. We have opportunities to speak into peoples' lives, to help them etc. But after they encounter us, they will have encounters with others after us. Are you following me? When people come through drive-thru, if I'm the one working the window and I get attitude about the way the order was taken, I'll say something to the effect of, “I'm very sorry. I was not the person who took your order but it will be my pleasure to make any corrections and get you just what you need.” As a Chick-fil-A employee I represent the company, and I want to make sure the customer has the best experience possible. It's the same as believers, we want people to have the best possible experience or encounter. Let me take it a step further. We are sons and daughters of a MIGHTY KING. If we are representing royalty, what do we want people to see or experience? Yes people are going to be rude, and we're going to sometimes think, man I will be glad when someone else has to deal with this person. Or, maybe even pray, “Lord can you please send someone else to help this person. I just can't do it.” But just as it is my job to smile and say my pleasure, even if it pains me, it's also my job to smile and love my neighbor as myself..... even if it pains me. And trust me, I have definitely asked God, or begged God rather, to let me be released of certain things. But, I have to remember who I represent, whether it's in person (like the employee at the window), or if it's just with my voice (like the employee on the headset). I don't want anyone to get a wrong impression, rude attitude, or complain on account of me. And on the flip side, there will be times we encounter people who've had experiences with believers before us and we have no idea how the exchange of communication was with the person prior to us, but we should want to make their experience the best one possible. Am I making sense? :) I want to represent Our Father, with the utmost respect and gratitude. I want others to see His love and compassion, His forgiveness and mercy. Just as an employee I want to do a good job, to serve people with respect and kindness. We may never know what kind of journey a person has been on, where they've been before we meet them; and we may never know where life takes them after we meet them. Here's to facing those people we may not want to face and doing our best to represent!