A Messy Summer Meal

By Pam Kumpe 
 
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20 NIV)

A special Summer Day celebration with my family was in order and they trusted me with picking the restaurant. They should have known better, because with my luck anything can happen, and usually does.

We gathered, meeting at the designated time, hoping to eat, drink and be merry; but a few mishaps, mistakes and missed steps along the way changed the course, a little.

At the restaurant, the seven of us crowded in and around a small table. The chairs literally penned up next to the wall, with no room to move around.

The waiter took our drink orders, and returned with them, his serving tray teetering above his head. Maneuvering between chairs, he squeezed hard to walk between the tables, and then it happened.

Picking up the last drink, the glass slipped from the waiter’s hand, falling in slow motion to the floor into my daughter-in-law’s purse.

The mixture of cold soda and ice drenched her wallet, and makeup bag. Retrieving her cell phone, the beeping, and blinking light indicated the coke had also drowned her phone.
 
Her clothes were soaked, and the waiter brought paper towels. The blotting began, using tiny little white paper napkins to clean up the mess.

Soon, the manager joined our table, kneeling and apologized, saying he would replace the phone, if needed.

Our food arrived, coming one dish at a time. It took the waiter seven trips, one by one, plate by plate. The process took so long, we wondered if they’d forgotten part of our order.
 
The enchiladas my husband ordered were not completely cooked, and he fiddled with his fork, trying to eat them. He was not terribly impressed with his meal, to say the least.

The waiter tried to reassure us; once again, telling us he was having a rather bad night. I think we were also having a rather bad night too. But, he did give us two free bowls of cheese dip to ease the situation, and that way my husband did get a little something to eat.

I chomped into my chili relleno, the yummy breading and the oozing cheese tasted great. Well that is, until my knife sawed into a deep fried toothpick in the middle of the pepper.
I called the waiter to our table telling him of my latest find. He told me the toothpicks were used to hold the chili pepper together while it cooked. It was supposed to be removed before serving. At least, that was their plan.

Well, with that latest incident, we received free desserts!

Sure our night on the town included a few mishaps; still by the time the check arrived we realized we had laughed more than once, at each other and the mishaps. It was a most enjoyable night on the town.

Do you deal with imperfect situations or less than perfect people?

Wait. Hold on. Pause. Take a deep breath, because we can press on and enjoy the surprises that come our way. Yes, waiters do serve imperfect customers too, like me.

So, we shouldn’t act surprised when things go wrong.

None of us can make claim to perfection as there’s only one person, who has attained such a status, and he’s sitting beside his Father right now in heaven.

Jesus longs to dine with you, helping you along the way, to lighten your load, and to guide your steps. So when you do drop something or mess up, his desire is to wash away your sins.

Besides, his service is great, and he’s always on time. He never expects a tip, he just longs for you to spend time with him. And that my friend, is a most precious dessert!

About the Author:  Pam Kumpe writes an inspirational newspaper column for the Bowie County Life/ Texarkana Gazette in East Texas. She also hosts a Podcast called "Daybreak Devotionals," teaches Kids Super Church, and loves telling stories. You can learn more about Pam at www.pamkumpe.blogspot.com.

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