Chick-Fil-A is A-OK!!!!

Did you ever have something happen to you that you just had to share??? Well that is exactly how I feel about what happened to me Thursday while visiting Chick-fil-A. I felt this experience was just too good not to share.

I was meeting a friend from Bible Study for lunch. Yes you guessed it our lunch destination was Chick-fil-A!

I was planning on helping her with something she needed using my computer. I was so excited because I really think the world of my friend and I couldn't wait to help her. Every C-F-A I've gone to has Wi-Fi so this was a great choose to accomplish both lunch, visiting and computer searches.

I left bible study and headed straight for CFA, Judy was going to be late as she had some errands to run first. That would give me a chance to eat before she got there and then I would be able to do the computer thing while she ate. I arrived at CFA ordered my meal and then asked "you do have wi-fi right???" I was dumbfounded when I heard the reply "no ma'am we don't!" EEEEKKKKK!!!! That was the main reason I chose that place and now my food is just about ready and they don't have wi-fi. I quickly recovered from that only to realize that I couldn't find my debit card. I had absolutely NO cash and was forced to use my credit card. My meal laid on the counter waiting for me to pick it up, but....my credit card was denied!!! EEEKKK again. I furiously searched my purse for my debit card only realizing I had left it in my pants pocket after rushing out of Wal-mart the night before. I suddenly began to panic! Then I remembered Scott had given me a prepaid American Express card. I happily handed it to the cashier only to find out IT didn't go through either!!!! WHAT---- I had just unsealed it from the pre-packaged envelope right in front of the ---now 3 cashiers!!! We were all baffled as to why it wouldn't work.

Through out the whole time I was looking for a form of payment....the sweet empathetic cashier was urging me to just take the meal without payment and enjoy. Not to worry! I suddenly realized I had tears streaming down my face.... I couldn't believe this was happening. Embarrassment and humility was taking over. Humility in the sense of humbleness. I was so throne back by the generosity and the compassion of the 3 cashiers telling me it was ok and all they wanted was for me to enjoy my meal and not to worry about the money!!!!! In this world where MONEY is the MAIN thing I was lost in a little bubble where the person was the main thing and not what they could get from the person. The sweet lady kept saying what kind of sauce would you like with your chicken but I was so flustered I couldn't even think what sauce I wanted. I mean come on.....I was getting a free meal did she really need to offer me sauce too!!!! The kindness was so foreign and overwhelming my senses were on overload.

I humbly took the tray with everything including the sauce (I finally figured out what kind I wanted) and found the nearest table next to a window. The place was packed and I sat there next to the window the food on the table trying as hard as I could to get the tears from pouring out of my eyes. I may not have had money or my debit card but I was smart enough to have Kleenex!!!! Wiping the tears away I just sat in a state of stillness thinking of what just happened.

At last Judy came, I told her the story and she said "Kim, it's ok!! It happens all the time!" I'm sure she's right about the credit card not going through, but I was astounded by the kindness, generosity, sincerity, compassion....I could go on but I won't. However...the story DOES NOT end at that point...there is more!

Not having the wi-fi also proved to be a good thing, as there were some conversations Judy and I had that were very important and helpful that I feel would help me to be a better friend to her. If we had the computer up and running I know the meaningful things that were shared would not have come up.

As we were wrapping it up there was a lady who was walking around refreshing drinks and simply finding ways of serving the customers any way she could. I watched her pretty much the whole time we were talking and I kept thinking how she beamed with happiness and joy. It was as if it was spilling out of her. She approached our table and asked if she could refill my drink...yea the one I didn't pay for!! I told her I was fine, but I wanted to tell her I noticed how joyful and beautiful I thought she was. I then told her I thought she would enjoy the bible study I attend and it was only down the street. It turned out that she'd been to the study for many years. Her son was the owner of the CFA and he begged her to work with him making it impossible to come. She tried doing more important tasks working there only to find she enjoyed serving the people much more than any other thing she could do. In the conversation, I learned this was not his only franchise, he had others. I figured he had to be well off and here his mother WANTED to serve people and clean tables. Her true desire was to serve. She could have had any pick of a job, but chose one of the lowest ones just so she could be with her son and his family to be a part of his success. I then told her about what happened with my credit card and she said: "oh don't worry that happens all the time.....we just want you to eat and enjoy. Don't give it another thought!!!!"

When I was finally ready to leave, I was standing by the door and the woman came up to me and Judy. She put her arm around me and said, "honey what is your name, you are such a blessing!" I told her my name and she said "Well Kim, it was so nice to get to visit with you....you are such a blessing to me."

As I drove off I was thinking of what had transpired. I couldn't believe she was calling me a blessing!!! Still amazed by the whole thing, I called Dawn to tell her what happened. I told her it makes me think of that old hymn Make Me A Blessing. Shortly after that we were disconnected. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Suddenly, I realized just 2 days before this happened I was singing in the shower......Make me a blessing, make me a blessing, make me a blessing to someone today!!!!! I couldn't remember the whole entire song so I just kept singing that same verse over and over again!!

In short---- I think God was reaching out letting me know He was there! Isn't it amazing He is even interested in us when we sing in the shower songs that are uplifting to Him. I didn't know at the time what I was asking, but the wonderful thing was, He already knew the surprises that were in store for me. Every last detail from a credit card being denied (even though Scott called the company and found out everything was just fine with our card), to the prepaid card not working, no cash and me leaving my debit card in my pants pocket the night before was orchestrated by Him. Other people were paying with credit cards while I was there so I know it wasn't there machine that was the problem.

My CFA situation has left me a refreshed, changed woman!!!