"But, I'm not worthy to go to heaven!" exclaimed our teary eyed waitress.
Norm Garner and I meet one-on-one every other week for accountability and discipleship. And this recent meeting made such a dramatic impact on my walk with Christ that I wanted to share this with you in hopes of it having the same effect on you as it did with me. Maybe it requires to be seen in person or then again, maybe not. Perhaps we all have a little bit of the "doubting Thomas" syndrome in us - we need to see it come to fruition in order for us to have it greatly impact our lives. I'm talking about the transforming power of the Holy Spirit upon a person's life.
Norm and I met at IHOP this morning for our usual, "How ya doing, how have things been?" routine. It started out as an ordinary meeting but ended up far from the ordinary - it was instead supernatural - it was as I like to call it, radical Christianity at work.
Our waitress, Katherine, just took our order. She seemed cheerful and had a great attitude even after taking Norm's meticulously detailed order of items from the a la carte menu. She noted that we were her first customers of the day and afterwards walks off with our breakfast order in hand.
A few minutes pass by and as she walks by our table she abruptly stops, turns around, and kindly asks if she may read today's devotional from the "Our Daily Bread" pamphlet she spotted on our table. She takes it away and returns a few minutes later and thanked us for the use of the devotional.
"Thanks, I really needed that this morning," she noted, then cheerfully walks off.
Norm and I quizzically gaze at each other as a light bulb began emanating from atop of his head.
"Praise the Lord!" shouts Norm.
A few more minutes pass by, Norm and I discuss the issues at hand and soon thereafter my Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity platter and Norm's Egg Beaters, bacon, and english muffins smothered with hot melted butter wafting with the awesome smells of a typical well rounded early morning breakfast arrives.
We thanked the Lord for the provisions before us and then effortlessly consumed the food.
Shortly thereafter, Katherine makes her usual stop at our table to check to see if everything was to our satisfaction. And with the sudden disappearance of food from our plates, I assumed she was led to believe that the food was beyond exceedingly satisfactory.
Right then, Norm stops her and asks if he may ask her two questions.
"Oh, oh!" I thought to myself, "What's about to happen here?"
Norm proceeds to ask her, "If you were to die today would you be 100% certain you would go to Heaven?"
"Gulp!" That was my throat.
"And, secondly..." Norm continues.
"Gulp!" That was my throat again.
"If you were to go to Heaven, what would you tell God why you deserve to be let into Heaven?"
"Oh boy, where will this go?" I wonder to myself.
She pauses and looks at Norm like a deer staring into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. And after carefully processing the questions, her reply was that of a person desperately needing the love and acceptance that can only be fulfilled by that of Jesus Christ.
"Yes. I would go to Heaven because I did good things for people, I take care of my children, and I occasionally pray and go to church," she methodically answers.
Norm goes on to explain to her that it is ONLY through a belief and a relationship with Christ that anyone can enter into Heaven no matter who the person is and what they have done.
Her response was one that would make a grown man cry. As tears welled up in her eyes, she says, "But, I'm not worthy to go to heaven!"
She then rests her knee upon the booth of which Norm is seated and leans in closer to open her soul and her life to us as she reveals all what she has been through.
"You see, I'm a recovering drug addict. I used to do drugs right in front of my own children. I've been to jail. I've been raped. My life is so full of sin and I can't seem to stop sinning. How can God allow a person like me into Heaven?"
Suddenly, all of my own personal problems and gripes seemed so insignificant as they paled in comparison to this humble and vulnerable young waitress.
Norm proceeds to tell her that Christ paid the price for all of us and no matter how dirty we are, we are always loved and accepted by God. Even as believers, we still sin, but we are wiped clean by Christ's death on the cross. As a believer we become a new creation, the old creation is put to death and the new creation in Christ lives.
As this conversation ensued between Norm and Katherine, I noticed the manager in the background giving notice to this intense conversation between a customer and her employee. She appeared to be rather upset and approached Katherine to tactfully end the conversation and carefully reprimanded her.
Norm and I knew at that moment that Satan was beginning to utilize his devices to thwart the Good News from being explained to Katherine. At that very moment we began to pray that God would loosen Satan's hold on this situation, and the door would continue to remain open as Katherine is being fed the truth of God's word, all the while to allow her soul to remain open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Shortly after Katherine was reprimanded, she came back by our table once again and stated that she wants to know more about Christ but that she can no longer continue this discussion while working. As Norm wrote his and his wife Amy's phone number on a napkin and left it next to the generous tip we left for her, he ended with this...
"Just remember Katherine that God always loves you no matter what!"
Her tear-filled eyes looked at us both and thanked us and hoped that we can continue this conversation again sometime soon.
At the front counter we paid the bill where the manager operated the cash register machine. We told the manager that our waitress Katherine provided us with exceptional customer service and that she seems to be a terrific employee.
"Please give our thanks to her and you can be rest assured that we will be back to dine here again real soon," we told the surprised manager.
Our time together at IHOP ended, we both got into our cars to leave, and a seed had been planted.
Looking back at this morning's encounter, it vividly reminded me of the woman at the well. I truly believe we were staring into the very eyes of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met. As you recall, she asked of the "living water" that Christ alluded to in their conversation (John 4:11). I believe that Katherine, a waitress at IHOP, was asking for that same "living water" this very day.
As a result of today's encounter, I've come to the realization that I must surround myself with what I call "radical Christians" such as the likes of Norm. Surrounding myself with fellow believers who are on fire for Christ and who seemingly never lose the zeal that the Holy Spirit instills upon them. The boldness, the courage and the strength to share Christ with anyone at all costs is something that we should all long for. What I witnessed today was what Christ has clearly commanded us all to do, to share the gospel and to spread it unto the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15). How often do we really do that? (I know I don't) When was the last time you approached a total stranger concerning their eternal destination? I firmly believe that God will always put that person in our path each day to share with, if only we ask. "Ask and you shall receive," (John 16:24) Christ declares in the Gospels.
I came to IHOP this ordinary June morning with the intention of meeting up with a friend and having good food and fellowship. Instead of leaving IHOP with a overstuffed belly and thinking about the workday ahead of me, I left IHOP deeply inspired and greatly encouraged by the awesome power of God. My outlook on the Lord and my life with Him, I believe, has now greatly changed. I believe the heavens were rejoicing and the angels were singing praises to their Lord this morning for more reasons than one. A soul was being saved and a believer was being changed.
