Are you portraying Christ?

I am going to start off by warning you, this is a bit of a rant. If you don't want to deal with that, then please stop reading now. This blog is mainly aimed at two groups of people who my co-workers at Sonic refer to as "church people" and "Johnson kids."
For those of you who don't know I am a carhop at Sonic. For the most part I enjoy my job. However, there are a few things that really bother me. One of the things that bothers me most is how Christians treat those in the restaurant industry. Some of you work in the restaurant business and know exactly what I am talking about. Those of you who don't have probably heard someone say that Sunday afternoons are the worst time to work because people come in after church and don't tip well. I can not express how true I've found this to be, although we also include Wednesday/Sunday nights after youth group in that statement.
(Side note: Sonic carhops make the same wage as waitresses. We depend on you to tip in order to pay our bills, so please be courteous.)
The average American eats fast food twice a week and eats at a sit down restaurant once a week. This gives Christians a great opportunity to witness to people who they might not otherwise come in contact with. However, if the only time I came in contact with Christians was when I am serving them at Sonic, I would have no interest in the Christ that they proclaim.
The two group I mentioned above, "church people" and "Johnson kids" are the ones whom our carhops most dislike serving. Not only do they rarely tip, but quite often they are also rude. (And then some share a gospel tract). It breaks my heart to see this happen. It also makes it difficult to proclaim the name and ways of Christ to those I work with, when they see the actions of other Christians, many who I know and associate with. So this is my plea, next time you get fast food, stop somewhere to eat, or pull into a stall at Sonic remember that you are portraying Christ. Let the people who are serving you see that there is truly something different about you. Your actions may be the only opportunity you have to share the gospel with them.

Jumbled Mess

Its been a long time since I wrote last. For those of you who follow, I am very sorry about that. I get a desire to blog at very strange times...like while on a 12 hour road trip or at 1:30 am when I should be asleep. When this happens I often find myself not blogging. Because I have had so many thoughts I've wanted to write about, this post may be a little jumbled (hence the title). I apologize in advance.
First I must tell you about how God blessed me abundantly last weekend while I was in Pennsylvania. Shannon and I had planned to be home for Kyle and Ashley's wedding. However our plans got stretched and shifted very suddenly with the loss of Randy Moskaluk. We went home 2 days earlier than planned. The time spent there was busy, but the weekend was a clear picture of how God gives and He takes away yet He is still God. On Thursday and Friday, along with many others I attended Randy's services. I can not express how blessed I have been to have the Moskaluk family be a part of my life for the past 8 years. Beginning with a friendship with Keifer at camp, I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to get to know this beautiful family. Their love, prayers, and support through my high school and college years has meant more than they may have realized. God used them to encourage me on a variety of occasions. Randy is and will continue to be greatly missed but he left behind a beautiful legacy.
Saturday I spent at a beautiful wedding ceremony of two dear friends, Kyle and Ashley. It was amazing to see them take this next step in their life together and to know that they are continuing to seek God together.
Often we do not understand why God does things. We do not like His timing. We want things to happen our way on our schedule. However, as the song that was shared at Randy's memorial service says, "God is God and I am not. I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting. God is God and I am man, So I’ll never understand it all. For only God is God."
I also want to share with you about one of the many ways I have been blessed recently. God has taught me a lot through other people recently. I am so thankful when He speaks to me right where I am at. This afternoon a friend came to the house. He brought a jalapeno. Now, I realize this does not seem like a big deal, and if the story ended there it would not be. However, this jalapeno is the first fruit of his garden. It was a tangible, real way for him to be a blessing to us through sharing the first product of his toil and God's providence.
Finally, I will briefly update you on what is going on in my life. I have been working quite a bit, but enjoying it for the most part. We are still in that awkward living out of boxes stage, but are mostly settled. Eden (my puppy) is getting big and mischievous. We have found that she likes to steal shoes and doesn't like change. She also has a new dog friend, Kaya who spends a lot of time with us. I have a potted plant garden that is doing well. If all goes well, we will have two different kinds of tomatoes, three kinds of peppers, zucchini, and squash in addition to the flower beds in front of the house. This has been one of the things I have greatly enjoyed since moving here. It is amazing to watch something grow and provide fruit and even more amazing when you know you had a hand in producing that. I can't wait until we can begin to harvest.
Well, that is all for now. However, I will try to write again soon.