It Has Been My Pleasure

Ten months and 27 days. That is how long I worked at my favorite quick-service chicken restaurant. And yes, it is still my favorite! I am technically still on payroll, in case they're in a bind & need an extra person. But I am no longer on the schedule, praise the Lord! My family and I are looking forward to some much need stability and routine. I am looking forward to some much needed consistent sleeping habits!

I've been wanting to document the blessings I've experienced there, the people, the life lessons. I'll do my best now.

First of all, the regular customers who I got to know by name, and by what they ordered. It was truly my pleasure to serve them, with the love of Christ. I have to think that getting your breakfast exactly as you ordered it, and from someone with a smile, gives you a better chance of having a good day. Some of them made my day. I know many of their last names, but I will just post their first name here.

*Nancy, an accountant with a local homeless ministry. Chicken burrito & water, $2.59
*Margaret, works in Owasso, 3 minis & a diet coke with light ice. $3.95
*Angela, whose husband was in Afghanistan for FOUR YEARS, and just came home this spring. Has two grown children.
*Melissa, works at a nearby insurance agency.
*Athena & her husband, who bought breakfast for her pediatric office almost daily, and 3 large sweet teas.
*Her parents, I forgot their names, who just graduated from Rhema in mission studies, and want to go overseas. = ) They were always smiling and laughing. Together. In the morning.
*Kevin - drove his middle school age son to school every day. Sometimes came back afterwards for more food. = )
*Kevin's cousin - in a cool new car. She didn't smile much.
*Alecia - two ketchups please.
*Carol - a biscuit, split tea with extra extra ice. And always wants more napkins.
*The dude with dreadlocks who drinks hi-c fruit punch & wears a reflective vest..either for a crosswalk or construction. His window doesn't roll down, but he's not interested in fixing it. He asks for an extra straw, and has a peculiarly long pinky fingernail.
*The nice gentleman who always pays with cash so I don't know his name. But he's super nice. Hasn't been around much lately cuz he drops his daughter off at band practice in Sand Springs, and wants to be early to work. Gets a #1 chicken biscuit and a coke. He tried other things for a while with fewer calories, but went back to the number one. $4.55
*The sweet older lady from Beggs who always says, "Good Morning Miss Julie" when she orders her 12 nuggets and a large coke.
*The young student from Nigeria who was going to Victory Christian high school while his parents are back home (he pays with a refillable Visa gift card), and now is on soccer scholarship at a college in Kansas. Bagel & sweet tea.
*The young lawn care professional with spikey hair who likes to eat healthy.
*The jovial man who orders BEC combo (bacon egg & cheese).
*Sweet Ruth who is an overcomer, and very patient with us as we sometimes get her order wrong.
*Angela, a young mom who works at a big-time jewelry store, but was sometimes late because she stops at my place (not because we're slow, just cuz she didn't have time to stop!). She would order mini chicken biscuits with cheese, a small chocolate shake and a kid-size dr. pepper.
*Oh, and I can't forget Laurel. Just as refined as her name implies. She liked a chicken egg & cheese bagel, and a large tea with extra ice, no sugar. To which I would reply, "An unsweet tea?" Yes.
*Liz, a super sweet older lady, I still don't know where she goes everyday, but she's always dressed up. She likes "a large unsweet tea, fill it to the top with ice, and lemon." $1.83.
*Doyle & Darlene. Sweet older couple. They come in EVERY morning for their sausage biscuit, butter biscuit, 2 grape & 2 strawberry jellies, and small diet cokes. I've seen them there on Friday nights, too.
*Gentleman who is a friend of Doyle & Darlene, who gets nuggets and a brownie.
*Pam - another one who comes every morning. Four-count-mini meal with a diet coke. She has learned to get her own refill of diet coke if no one is at the counter. She's also there on Friday night. Fun southern accent.
*Two police officers who get off as we are opening. They order the same thing - nuggets & fries meals - and get it for free if they dine-in in uniform.
*The sheriff guy who I've seen on the news eating at a restaurant on the other side of town. Probably for the same reason as the police offers above.
*Troy. We know his name cuz it's on the door of his work truck. He's a little embarrassed to say how much he likes french vanilla creamer.
*Russ - local nightly news anchor who gets breakfast for his son on the way to school once in a while. He looks a lot different at 7am than he does on the 10 o'clock news. Who wouldn't?
*Meredith the pastor's wife.
*The young lady who is in her 2nd year of teaching middle school. She hardly smiles, bless her heart.
*The guy who drinks his coffee with two creams & two sugars. He asked me once about my accent. My accent?
*Cosmetology teacher with a sprained wrist.
*Cosmetology student who used to work in my salon.
*Car mechanic who gets a chicken and egg bagel, no cheese. $3.20.
*Most inspiring is the Tuesday & Wednesday morning groups of men who meet for Bible study and accountability. Men from all different walks of life meeting for a common purpose. Pretty cool.
*Owner of a car shop who often pays for the person behind him, and leaves his business card. Smart man!

That is one of the coolest things...last Christmas there were several times a customer in the drive through would pay for the meal of the person behind them. One time the 2nd person paid for the 3rd person's meal, who in turn paid for the 4th person's meal. SIX people got their meal for free & paid for the one behind them. That was a fun day to work. That happened today...the gentleman said to tell her that he just felt like he should do that. If that ever happens to you, consider passing it along to the person behind you!

Paying it forward is one of the things I've learned from working there. Another is true hospitality. I realized that I can take care of customers to the extent that my boss expects me to, but if my job was going to have eternal value, I should treat people the way I would treat Christ. I asked Him to help me not just serve food and drinks, but to love people through me. During the brief conversation with people at the window, a few words spoken with the love of Christ can go a long way. Now that we have a double drive-thru, we move cars a lot faster so I don't get to talk much. But one can show respect by making eye contact and listening to their requests.

I have also learned to move quickly, get the work done in the time it needs to be done, (I've come a long way since middle school when my sister would tell me, "You don't know the meaning of the word 'hurry'!") and to do it with excellence. Do things right the first time, and just get it done! There are no short-cuts at this restaurant! They have really high standards, which is why I can't bring myself to eat at other places anymore.

What I'm looking forward to now: Having mornings to myself to spend with the Lord, to get ready for our school day, and time to be attentive to the needs of my family. Having a family is a lot of work, and I'm looking forward to working at it full-time, to get the job done, and by God's grace and with His strength, to do it with excellence!