Parable of the Burnt Pizza

This night was one to remember so I added it in. 

The Parable of the Burnt Pizza... it's a long one.

Tonight the boys went to a race and I thought a pizza night with my girls would be fun. We headed to Pizza Hut because we haven't had that in a while. We ordered our food at 6:40.

I needed to pickup Brielle at 7:30 and started to panic a little that our food still hadn't come by 7:15. I was getting hangry. I finally decided to leave my girls and go get Brielle. Surely the Pizza would be ready when I got back, right?

At 7:45 the Pizza was still not there. I asked about it and they were just putting it in the oven. I felt a fire light..... Let me back up...

As I sat there for 90 min, I watched as a dozen people came in and tell an over-sized man how bad he was doing at his job and how the wait time was so ridiculous. They yelled and said unkind things. So I held my tounge.

I also watched this large man struggle to move his body as he worked as quickly as he could, panting the whole way. I watched him bring out orders over and over to busy, mean, hurried people and he got no thanks.

At 7:50 we finally got our breadsticks. They were delicious. As we ate, we watched a customer get up to leave. Him and his family had been at the restaurant for 2 hours.

Other grumpy customers watched intently along with me as he patted the large man on the shoulder. He said, "Hey, don't listen to all those guys. You are doing a great job. I can see how hard you are working and how busy you have been. You're a good kid. Keep up the good work and don't listen to those mean people." He looked him in the eyes, smiled, and left.

I watched the other people in line soften. Smile. And immediately relax their tense, impatient bodies as they remembered that this guy was a PERSON.

The big guy didn't move for a second. I think he was absolutely stunned by someone who took a moment to be kind.

Soon after that, our Pizza was finally delivered just before 8. We were starving and I was imagining how great it was going to taste. He sat the Pizza down. I smelled it before I saw it.... burnt Pizza.

The "regular me" opened my mouth to say- no way are we eating that- and demand a new pizza... but something stopped me. I closed my mouth & looked up at him....I think he was bracing for the worst.

I had a choice to make.

I decided to thank him, smile, and for tonight, choke down burnt Pizza at the risk of making this man feel even worse than he probably already did.

I don't tell this story to tell you how great I am. I was not happy. It took 1 man in a room of grumpy people to soften everyone's attitudes. One man who chose kindness over cruelty. One man who could see this person's worth hidden deep inside his large body. One man who's brave act lifted this man.

It took one person.

I yern to be more like this man!

I want to be more patient, more kind, more brave and more charitable. Tonight, I'm thanking the Lord for burnt Pizza, this hard working man, the brave kind man and the very valuable lesson I learned.

I hope we all can be more kind and see people's worth and not let our hangry moments allow us to treat anyone like any less of a person than the child of God that they are.