Sunday noon, we were invited to the Texas Roadhouse by our
son and his family to have lunch.
Although I enjoy going there, it’s always very, very noisy and busy, and
this time was no different. There were
eight of us all together, and I couldn’t hear the conversation at the other end
of the table much of the time due to all of the noise and hubbub.
So as I sat at the end of the table and enjoyed my filet
medallions, I began watching the wait staff as they went about their
business. And I counted five different
employees, besides the manager, who stopped by our table to bring something or
take something away, or just ask how things were going. One of those five was our server, but the
other four were people who did who-knows-what who brought the salads, drinks,
etc., or who took away empty plates.
And crowded though the place was, everyone seemed to zig at
just the right time or zag over to the other side to avoid collisions with
other wait staff who were busy carrying this or going here or there. I don’t know what it’s like at that
restaurant behind the scenes where the meat cutters hand-cut the steaks, or
where the bakers bake the delicious rolls, or where the dishwashers clean up
the messes. But from what I see in the
public area, the wait staff and employees do a good job of working together,
getting done what needs to be done, even if it may not necessarily be their job
or their table.
I don’t want to go so far as to say they were a well-oiled
machine, but they did give the impression of a group of people who, if they
didn’t truly enjoy what they did, at least they didn’t hate it. And they seemed to have the best interests of
the customer and of other employees in mind as they went about their work. There was no room for slackers or malcontents
on the day I was there.
It’s like that, of course, in many arenas of living. Families, work, civic groups, church…people need
to work together and look out for others, offering to help out wherever needed
even if it isn’t in their job descriptions.
It seems we’d do a lot better as a society if we practiced this kind of
helpfulness and cooperation in what we do and how we do it instead of working
desperately to get whatever is “in it for me.”
Jesus said as much when he said, “As you would that men
should do to you, do also unto them likewise.”
This, the Golden Rule, is also said like this, “Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.”
He also said that the two greatest commandments are to love
God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as
you love yourself. He then went on to
explain that one’s neighbor was virtually everyone else besides oneself. Loving our neighbor means that we’ll desire
the best for them and work to that end.
Loving our neighbor means that we’ll put our desires below the needs of
our neighbor. Loving our neighbor means
that we’ll sacrifice if necessary for them.
How are you doing in following the Golden Rule or the
greatest commandments? What are you
actively doing to train yourself to look at others first? How are you coming along in the greed and
selfishness categories?
The Texas Roadhouse bunch seemed to have it together Sunday,
and they showed it in their ability to serve many people in a crowded, noisy environment
and make it a pleasant experience for everyone.
Can we Christians do any less?
