The Thai Cuisine restaurant was a great place to eat. I discovered it years ago right after it opened. They had good food at a good price so I went often. I told others about it. After a few months, the place got busier and it became harder to get a table. They had a thriving lunch-time business, and rightly so. But something must have happened. Yesterday I noticed the restaurant was closed. I wonder how long it has been that way? How long has it been since I was there? 10 years? Why did I stop going? Perhaps one reason is that I found a better place.
The better place is a little grill called Pickles. I meet my wife and kids there for lunch. My son grew up doing his home-school work at the restaurant table, while waiting for me to take my lunch break and meet them. The people know me. They know us. When I walk in and sit down by myself, the hostess asks if my wife and son will be joining me. She even seems a little dissapointed when they don’t come. She asks about them, and tells me about her kids. How are they doing in school? We talk and get to know each other a little better each visit. Today I learned that she doesn’t like snow. She had her fill of it when she lived in Connecticut. I also learned that her home country has weather much like Florida. Mildly cool winters in the north, warm all year in the south.
No matter how busy the lunch hour, the hostess always makes time to talk to me. She and her husband own the place, and I am her favorite customer. Me and just about everyone else that walks in the place. At Pickles, you pay for the burger, but friendship comes free. Perhaps that is one reason they have outlasted the Thai restaurant. They know one of the secrets of life: It’s about people.
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. . . . and they did eat and were filled.
– Mark 6:34, 42
3 Responses to “The Hostess”
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Very good, we should all be Kingdom host.
I have a restaurant just like your “Pickles” it seems — the China Jade. I’ve been eating there almost weekly for probably 15 years. Annie was our first waitress there — a shy Chinese girl that we took an interest in. She runs the place now. Christmastime she gave my wife and me a “tiger ornament” for our tree. She said, “you are my best customers.” I told our local church about our love for the China Jade, Annie, and all of our precious Chinese “family” that work there. Shortly, thereafter, Annie told me “your friends are coming to see me.” I hope the place doesn’t close. I’d miss the food I pay for (and sometimes get for free) and the free friendship for sure. Thanks Mark. Inspiring post. I pray our local church is more like “Pickles” and “China Jade” and less like the Thai place that is now closed in your hometown. I pray we are Exclusively God’s and Others-focused.
[…] is closing. It used to be my favorite place to eat lunch. Then came the time when the hostess, the owner’s wife, left. The friendly service faded. Some time after that, the owner […]