It's been a while folks. Good to see you again. Yes, I'm loosing weight. Thank you for noticing and speaking up. Encouraging bunch of people...
Now for the matter at hand.
Imagine that you work at Chili's. (Ok, I'll give you a few seconds to think about those Fajitas ... soooo good) Sunday afternoon, you go in to work. You make between $3-$4 per hour plus tips. Now imagine 12:43 in the afternoon rolls around. A well dressed, seemingly happy group of 7 walk in, and are seated in your section. Everyone gets soft-drinks, except for the one guy who asks for water, 2 slices of lemons and splenda stirred in. They get appetizers, entrees, but no dessert, because let's face it ... nap time is coming. Throughout the meal, they talk about the church service they all just attended, the message, the worship, and maybe a little gossip about that one family. You know the one.
Then you hand them their single check an hour later. It totals up to $78.75 pre tax, and $84.45 after tax. While you wait on other tables, they greet you as they walk out the door. You make your way back to the table, and discover something interesting. They have left $.55 as a tip to round up to $85, and a gospel tract for you to read.
That hour of your service, combined, was worth $3.55.
Do you read the tract?
If you think this is a baseless hypothetical situation, I DARE YOU to ask anyone who is a server in a restaurant. You'll hear stories that miror this. Even better, ask them what day they dread working the most. They will almost unanimously tell you Sunday. Why? Because Christians are the worst people to serve. They're demanding, condescending and cheap.
We're demanding, condescending and cheap. Right after service, where hearts are uplifted, lives are changed and people encounter the Living God, we let ourselves get away with being demanding, condescending and cheap. For a people who serve the best God, why do we let ourselves get away with being the worst?
For the servers out there, please know this: When Christians treat you this way, it's shameful. It is not behavior endorsed by the Bible we read, the God we serve or the values we strive to uphold. God's love for you is greater than that Bible tract. Your time is worth more than we've made it. We appreciate your service, because believe it or not, YOU are an example to US of how to serve others. Sometimes we just forget that as a people, we represent the God who didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give His life for many. Forgive us for forgetting.
To the Christians out there: don't you think it's time we changed the tides? After all, we are a people who once were lost, but now are found! We serve the God who formed the heavens and the earth, and the Savior who bore the sins of all mankind. Do you realize that we're known by our actions, not our intentions? No one cares about our theological disposition; rather, they care about and are impacted by the practice of our religion. Isn't it time that we let Sunday be a day that others look forward to also? Imagine how great it would be if Sundays were the day that servers looked forward to working, because of how generous those Christians are.
We serve a generous God, let's allow ourselves to be generous to the world He's called US to serve. We are a people overwhelmed by God's mercy, so let's pass that on, even if they spill your drinks or get your order wrong. Twice. We are a people transformed by nothing less than an encounter with God Himself. Let's give people more than tracts to believe in. Let's be a transformed people, no matter where we go.
As a complete aside, the mathematician won't let me conclude this blog post without a tipping lesson. Do you know how to tip 15% on $84.45? Yes, I said 15%. Think of it as a minimum, because traditionally, it was. If you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to go out to eat. Buy groceries, go home and have a great afternoon with your family & friends.
If you have a smartphone, just use that calculator and multiply $84.45 x 1.15. Pay that amount. If you prefer to do the mental math, then do, but get it right: Add 10% and 5%. 10% is easy to come by ... $8.45. Now round it up to $9 (you big spender you). Then cut that number in half to find the 5%, and add it on. $9 + $4.50 = $13.50
If your server is average, just tip 15%. If they're above average, go ahead and tip 20% ($18). If they're really amazing, tip 30% ($27) or more and let their manager know ... compliments go a long way.
We serve the best God. Let's be the best at serving the world around us, even while they're serving us lunch.
