What is a surprise to you, is even beyond the passion I have of the company and the young adults I work with, I still struggle with knowing if I'm doing what God wants me to do, and if I do it well. And what is a surprise to me, is how God still reveals himself through the "mission" He has placed me in.
When we relocated to California, I thought my journey with this company came to an end. I was working at a different location, and the commute was just too far and quickly doing me in. I called it quits after a few short months. I was on Facebook in the middle of the night when the current location I work at reached out to me. And now the rest is history.
I am the Administrator/Training Director at the restaurant. I am using the gifts God has placed in me. Some things I do I find quite easy to do, other things are successful challenges. But no matter what I find joy in the job itself.
I would be lying to you if I told you that I don't doubt myself sometimes - not just in my job, but just in my everyday life. I always question if I'm doing what God wants of me.
I have measured my success with what society has put before me: including the type of job I have. I have struggled with being proud of where I am, as those close to me saw me in the "fast food business" and in all honesty, I too never expected to find myself at Chick-fil-A. Yet I have found many stories through my journey there that have grown me in my walk with the One who created me for just a time and place as this.
I don't have a "rags to riches" type testimony, but one that makes me ever so grateful of God seeing me and pulling me out of the pit I was in. However, there are many others that are such more impactful and bring so many others to Christ. And so I wonder how in the world can God use my story.
Yet … am I glorifying God? Am I being a positve influence to those who I come in contact with? How can I go the 2nd mile today? And … am I doing what God calls me to or is there something else?
I had a little chuckle the other night as I read my devotion before bed, written by Max Lucado. It was titled "The Society of the Second Mile". Each word I could associate with my day to day journey with God at my work. The words confirmed I was to be where I am at and God wasn't done with me yet. However, I was challenged: "serve the ones who hate you; forgive the ones who hurt you. Take the lowest place, not the highest; seek to serve, not to be served. Retaliate, not in kind, but in kindness."
Even as I work with passion, I have challenges each day. I am human. And I work with young humans with high emotions. I just had a couple of team members hurt my feelings the other day. My flesh wants to just give them the cold shoulder, just ignore them. I have guests that call and tell us how we forgot to put sauce in the bag, which was requested and how they deserve a refund and how frankly we stink at our job. I want to cry, hang up on the call and lash out in words. My first instinct is how I feel, what my initial reaction is. But I continue to listen, apologize, solve and thank. I'm to be quick to forgive and to love… shake off my sandals and still go that extra mile. It isn't what is required of me to be a team member at Chick-fil-A, but as a child of Christ. I'm really representing Jesus, not the cow.
I went into work yesterday for a couple of hours. Nothing was going as planned. Nothing. Attitudes weren't at their finest. And I saw a lot of flesh wanting to take over. My flesh included. But I have to roll with the punches, and offer the other cheek. A team member wasn't feeling well, and I kept her near my side in the office, inspite of what I needed to get done that day. One thing after another started pouring out of her. Feelings of defeat and failure. Being an only child and it's demands. Pressures of doing what is right according to society and wanting to please parents. Curiosity and loneliness. Depression and anxiety. What was pouring out before me, was the "younger Karen" I once knew….it was my old story. And then I heard these words: "Ms. Karen, are you busy? Can you talk with me?" I let go of what was on the agenda and made myself available. God allowed me to connect with someone at a deeper level: soul to soul, and I was able to speak truth over someones life, as well as encourage and give hope. And today I pray over her. I soon realized my day wasn't about training and customer service, but instead going the extra mile and walking by someone specific and to see how my story was used to encourage and connect with another.
I still am that only child, wanting to please my parents and whoever the authority figure is in my life. I still question if I do. But today, I see my calling … to walk the second mile in it's flowery path and the muck and mire. Mine is at Chick-fil-A and the simplicity of the community that surrounds me, and the family within my house walls. And today I feel a little closer to the One who has gone a million miles for and with me over and over again.
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