“Learn of Me; for I am meek and modest in heart.” ~ Matthew 11:29
“Predictable” described his
addiction path. He went from partying occasionally to drinking every night. When
he began boozing in the morning to stave off the agony of withdrawal, he
realized he’d become a hard-core alcoholic.
Joshua had children
but never married their mother. A failed business venture left him broke and
desperate. When his house was foreclosed,
he moved in with his parents… under one condition.
He entered rehab
for the third time. His Dad drove him. There was no reason for optimism. Except
this time, Joshua accepted his powerlessness and begged God for help.
God answered.
Joshua found a commitment to sobriety he’d never experienced before. He
returned to his childhood church and threw himself into Bible studies and
volunteer work.
One glaring problem
remained. He needed income. And now that Joshua was trying to repair the damaged
relationship with his children, his financial obligations grew.
A friend offered
him a management-trainee position at Chick-fil-A. He was grateful yet mystified
by the offer. His previous attempt at business bombed spectacularly. He’d never
worked behind a counter in his life. But he needed a job and took it.
In
fast food, you work your way through every job you’ll eventually manage - if
you survive. Initially, Joshua was given a late shift to avoid the rush hours. Still, the work depleted him. He had no idea
there are so many variations to chicken.
Working
at night until closing also meant cleaning certain areas of the restaurant. Imagine
degreasing an entire commercial kitchen every night if you've never done this. Part
of the routine also included scrubbing the baseboards along the bottom of the
walls in the customer seating area.
But upon
reflection, it was much more than about her being meticulous.
She took her
responsibilities very seriously. She wanted to run the best possible business,
which included attention to detail. So she crawled underneath
booths in the restaurant to show Joshua what humble leadership looked like.
There would never
be an award or recognition for taking care of the minute details. Yet they
added up to big things. And leadership was best served by example.
Humility is one of
the dominant principles Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. His humility
in life, death, and resurrection, testifies to one of God’s clearest and most
memorable promises in all the Scriptures: “He humbles the proud and exalts the
humble.”
A style Joshua
would instill personally and require of his staff as he opened his own
restaurant.
Lord, You taught us the meaning of humility
through Your teachings and example. We pray that our own words and deeds
reflect an inner sense of meekness, contriteness, and submissiveness to You,
our God. Amen
