The Customer

It is amazing how God will place us in a particular place at a particular time so that we can be God’s blessing to someone who needs a blessing. Consider the following true story: Jay is a Taco Bell restaurant manager in Tennessee. This is his story. It is a beautiful example of the difference we can make in people’s lives.

“We have a long-time regular customer as many restaurants do. I have noticed her here two or three times a week for about the last fifteen months. In the past, she was routinely not very happy. ‘Food is too hot, food is too cold, prices are too high, not enough cheese, and the table she wanted was not clean….’ You get the picture.

“One day about a year ago, as I was coming in to work, I walked in the door of the restaurant, and I noticed her eating in the lobby. I wondered why she was unhappy. I sat my briefcase down, took a cinnamon twist from the line and headed to her table. We had a brief pleasant conversation.

“During the months since, I have not known her to complain about anything. Doris and I have become casual friends and enjoy sharing with each other about our faith, our family and other activities. Most of all, our team enjoys seeing her now as well.

“The timing of my decision to share this with you is this. Over the past few months I have learned that Doris is in need of a kidney transplant and her husband suffers from terminal cancer. Yesterday she came in very excited, her doctor had just called her with the news that a match had been found. Doris had her kidney transplant last night. She told me the first place she wanted to go was here to tell us the good news.

“This means more to me than any other form of recognition or compensation. You see, I could have thought of her as just another person that you can’t make happy and she could have thought of us as just another place wanting her money, but I saw her as an opportunity to show God’s love for people.

“We are far from being the perfect operation, nor do we make everyone happy, but our number one goal is to show people love. If we can offer them a warm smile of encouragement or a kind word to lift their spirits along with their meal, maybe they will leave, as Doris did that first day, feeling better than they did before they came in.”

Dear readers, every day we get to choose how we will respond to people. We can return hurt for hurt, or we can be the voice of grace, reflecting the love of God to all those we meet along the way.

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” — Colossians 4:5-6

Special Celebrations

We have two couples this week celebrating their union as husband and wife. Tim and Chasity Ferrell are celebrating on Thursday, Oct. 25; and James and Joyce Sinclair are celebrating on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Good Morning

I recently heard about a couple who drove several miles down a country Buffalo road without saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the wife sarcastically asked, “relatives of yours?”

“Yep,” the husband replied, “in-laws.”

Heaven or Hell???

While walking down the street one day a corrupt politician (and America has plenty of those) was tragically hit by a car and died. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the politician.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from the higher-ups. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really? I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the politician.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the politician realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, “Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours passed with the politician joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The politician reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell…

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls to the ground. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the politician. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil smiles at him and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning. Today, you voted.”

Birthdays

We have six wonderful people celebrating their birthdays this week. Claudia Parks Hammett, my daughter, and JoAnne Haney, and Tabitha Kendrick on Thursday, Oct. 25; Jacob Fleming on Sunday, Oct. 28; and Ashley Justice on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

A very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EACH OF YOU!

Prayer Concerns

I think that one of the most exciting things to happen to us is for us to realize that we have just had a “divine appointment” when we pray with someone or encourage someone. This past week I experienced several of those “divine appointments” at the fair as the Holy Spirit led me to people who needed encouragement and/or prayer.

One such person was a lady vendor from Michigan. She shared with Wanda Fleming and me that her husband was in real bad health and that her daughter is also. She asked for prayer and that is what we did right then and there. Please keep Rex Best and Trish Best in your prayers for healing and restoration.

Also, Connie Burgess, wife of Rev. Johnny Burgess, needs our prayers for her health as she takes some medical tests.

Let’s keep Sara White and her husband, Keith, in our prayers as Keith is at Oakmont recuperating from surgery.

Wanda Fleming’s mother, Lois Sanders, is having health problems and needs our prayers.

Thought Of The Week

“To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows presidential potential.”

If You Have Good News

When you see, hear, or make news, hear good, funny, and clean jokes, please email your news and jokes to me at cap9296@aol.com, call me at 864-441-2371, mail your news to me at POB 128, Buffalo, or stop me on the street. When you celebrate good things in your life, I would like to share that with the good people of Buffalo. You want to laugh. I want to laugh. So please make me laugh.

Until next week, may God bless you richly.