THANKFUL!!

     

     It was February 1994. I boarded a bus on a very cold morning as I was about to encounter a week long mission trip to Mexico City with our churches youth group. I don't know exactly how many were on this trip but it was well over 60 people! Our youth pastor at the time invited me to join the trip for a very good reason. We had plans to develop a new ministry in our church called "Sidewalk Sunday School." That never materialized after our trip but a ministry I developed called Kids in Missions did. I will write about that ministry in an upcoming blog in January. Mexico has been the only third world country I ever visited. Our purpose for this trip was to minister to young children using the Sidewalk Sunday School method. These children lived in absolute poverty. The area they lived in was called "The Garbage Dump." The Sidewalk Sunday School program we did featured clown skits, drama, music, memory verses and a bible lesson. Everything we did was in spanish and the dramas we did we instrumentals all on tape. It was all done outside on dirt roads in the open air. This program was done weekly and was basically the only entertainment these children had. They did not own T.V.'s, laptops, tablets weren't around yet and neither was the internet. We all got dressed up as clowns. We all put on clown makeup in 90 degree heat. Trust me when I say the clown makeup started on our faces and ended up all over our necks by the end of the day.

     I will never forget two particular events that week. The first was very eye opening. We were in the middle of a village and I had to desperately go to the bathroom. An interpreter asked a family if I could use their bathroom in their home and they said yes. When I walked into their home, all I saw was dirt floors, windows with holes in the windows and a leaky roof. The toilet in the bathroom was not even a toilet. It was a hole in the ground. I will never forget what I saw and will admit that I was heartbroken to see a family live in such poverty. The other event was at a church in Mexico City. The pews were cinder blocks with planks as the seats. The floors were all dirt and the roof was made of tin. The drummer on the worship team had a huge hole in his drum and the guitar player played a guitar that had a few strings missing. The people all cried as they worshipped God. I was very moved! The church was very close to the garbage dump and the smell was unbearable. The members of that church did not care. They were all so happy to have the freedom to worship God. In all reality, they were thankful. I returned from that trip and made a promise to myself. I promised myself I would always be thankful and grateful for what I have. Each morning I try my best to thank God for a new day!

     In America we are spoiled! We are also ungrateful! Working in the restaurant industry, I can see how much food is wasted. When our dining room was open at Chick Fil-A, I would always cringe when I would clean a tray off of a table. Many times so much food was wasted. Sometimes it was enough food to feed 5 people. Many of the people I met in Mexico would have loved to have that leftover food! People complain when their sandwiches have pickles on them when they asked for none and they get upset when we refuse to give them 37 Chick Fil-A sauces for one Chick Fil-A sandwich! I have learned to be thankful for what I have. I thank God that I have a bed to sleep in, a roof over my head, a hot shower every morning, a car that gets me around, a warm winter jacket, clothes on my back and two jobs I work at that help me pay my bills. I realize there are people in this world who don't have these things. As we all sit down this Thursday to enjoy a great Thanksgiving meal, let's remember to give thanks to God for ALL he has provided for us! Let's give thanks with a grateful heart!     

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

THE RIGHT PATH TO CHOOSE

     When I started working for Chick Fil-A 5 years ago, I never thought in a million years that I would have one service on my job description.....Directing traffic. I have worked the register, made desserts, I've been the bagger, worked the window, cleaned the dining room and delivered food. Never ever did I ever believe I would have to direct traffic. Once the pandemic began, our restaurant closed it's dining room and since April we have only been offering drive thru or mobile orders. That means that our guests need to be directed to where they need to go. Trust me when I say it is not a whole lot of fun and leads to A LOT of great comedy. Our restaurant has an entrance that leads to the drive thru, mobile orders and access to our parking lot where Door Dashers, Uber Eats and Grubhub drivers. The drive thru has two lanes and the mobile orders is one lane. Delivery drivers can enter the parking lot on the left. I am amazed how many people get the directions wrong. You tell them to go to the right and they go to the left. You tell them to go in the center lane and they go to the right. My favorite is when you tell them to go down the center land and they say "This center lane?" I always say "the only center land we have!" I have experienced many frustrated people who want to order food yesterday and I've been cursed at, yelled at as well as had major "attitudes" with those lovely New Yorkers. If there was no one there to direct traffic, you would see "mass chaos and confusion" as well as tempers flaring up. Yesterday was Veterans Day and trust me when I say we had cars everywhere. The place was a madhouse and I was out directing traffic at lunchtime and during the dinner hours. I'm glad it's over! It certainly was never on my job description!

     While reflecting on the events I experienced directing traffic, it made me think. This whole scenario reminds me of the Christian walk. Our guests who enter our property have no idea where to go. They need to be directed to the right destination. It could be the drive thru, to pick up a mobile order or they could be picking up a Door Dash, Uber Eats or Grubhub order. They need someone to show them where to go. Even with signage up, many guests take the wrong path or lane. They need someone to point them in the right direction. In life, we need someone to point us in the right direction. We need someone to show us which path to take. His name is Jesus! How many times do we say, just like some Chick Fil-A guests "This way? This path?" God is certainly directing us as to where we need to go. We may not understand it but we do need to trust in Him and say "Yes! God is showing me the right path to take." When we need to make an important decision or just need direction in our lives, we need to remember that God will lead us down the right path. Proverbs 3:5,6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." He will lead us but we need to make the right decision but letting Him lead us!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!! 

  

   

 

 

 

THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POST

     No no no! This is NOT a political post! I am not a huge fan of politics. I never have been and I never will be. A few weeks ago, one of the young kids I work with at Chick Fil-A asked me who I thought would win the election this year. I kindly told him I do not like to discuss politics and did not answer his question. He understood. If I'm at a party or at church and people start discussing politics, I always walk away. The reason is simple and my family will agree with me and will know who I mean once I reveal the name of the person responsible for my disdain for politics. Ready? ...........GRANDPA HARFF!

     I know I've mentioned my grandfather, my Dad's father in previous blogs. I have to say he was very good to my brother and sister and I. We were his only grandchildren and he did love us the best he knew how. He certainly was not a "huggy, kissy" type of guy whatsoever. He was not a favorite in his neighborhood nor was he ever a "favorite" relative. The one thing he was known for in our family was he loved to argue and he did feel he was always right. The one topic he loved to argue about? POLITICS! As a young kid spending many holidays with him and my grandmother, my grandfather always tried to start and argument over politics. I can't tell you who exactly he argued about. I was very young. It could have been Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford or Jimmy Carter. All I know is that it left a very negative impression on me even to this day. Don't get me wrong. I do follow some politics and I do pray for whoever our President is whether I like him or not. I do pray for our Congress and our Senator and Governor. But I still hate discussing it. I don't feel that discussing it with someone will ever change the outcome. All i know is as a christian man, it is my duty to not only vote, but to pray for our leaders. One of my favorite bible verses is in Proverbs 3:5,6 which says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight." All I know is one thing. Regardless of whether i like or dislike discussing politics and regardless of whoever is our President these next four years, we need to pray for that man who is leading our country whether we agree with them or not!  

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK