"Check, please!"

Asking for the check at the end of a meal is probably considered one of the least pleasurable experiences of dining out. Admit it, you know it's true. Afterall, who wants to know how much financial "damage" was done in order to stop your stomach from growling for a few hours? Don't believe me? Take a look at this man's face...

... ring a bell?

Because of the displeasure most people receive from this process of dining, paying the check is probably one of the most neglected opportunities for a Believer to witness. Once we see the bill (which somehow always seems to be more than we expected), we begrudgingly place our credit card or cash in the pouch. No matter how we attempt to disguise it, it's written all over our face: "I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST PAID $50.00 FOR A STINKIN' STEAK AND POTATO!"



At this point, you're probably looking around hoping to find someone else who seems equally as shocked at their bill so that, together, you can start a "We've been swindled out of our hard-earned money" protest. You imagine the situation in your mind so vivdly... After receiving a heartfelt apology from the Manager you leave the store with a full refund and a complimentary slice of pie.

Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit. Most of us aren't quite that dramatic, but we do probably feel a little bit annoyed. At this stage of the game, because of the exorbitant bill we just paid, most of us scoot out of there having left the customary 10% tip and not a penny more. What a missed opportunity to give and to serve someone who took the time to serve you (whether it was done well or not). Remember that the Lord loves a cheerful giver! (2 Corinthians 9:7)

One of mine and Chris' favorite things to do when we eat out is to bless the person who is serving us. We take the time to pray for them before and after they have served us and have a special tradition that we carry out at the end. Once the bill comes, Chris pays the check (tipping well, even if the service wasn't great) and promptly hands me the receipt. (This is my favorite part of the whole thing...) I take the receipt and write a special note of thanks to our server on the back of it, complimenting them on something we particularly loved about them (their smile, their sense of humor, their promptness, etc.) and include special words about the Lord's love for them. If we can't find anything we liked about their service, we write that we sensed there was something troubling their heart and hope that they find a reason to smile before the day is through. We conclude our message by letting them know they are in our prayers and include a special Scripture at the end.

Chris and I have had the pleasure of knowing in our hearts that even the worst of servers were softened by the words the Lord gave to us. I have known many people who leave a penny or no tip at all to a server who did a terrible job. This always troubled my heart and caused me to seek the Lord in prayer over the issue. Seeing this person through the Lord's eyes and putting myself in their shoes, I can see that leaving such a lousy tip can quickly turn a bad day into a worse day. What a sorely missed opportunity to cheer them up with kindness!

It is my heartfelt prayer that we would realize how much an undeserved act of kindness makes a far greater impact than giving someone what they truly deserve. May we daily make the choice to pray for those that we are tempted to curse, and remember that we could never give a gift to another that is more undeserved than the one Christ gave to us on the cross that day...

Let us take each opportunity the Lord gives us to bless others and, in doing so, reflect the grace and mercy we have been given through the precious gift of Salvation. May we search and pray for opportunities that we may otherwise miss, and ask the Lord to give us a heart to love the unlovable. May we never forget, dear friends...

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop

-Kelley