First Church of the Waffle House, Lincolnton, NC

Ok, I admit it...I'm a Waffle House Junkie.  I eat there most every morning.  I just have grits and bacon, a cup of coffee, and my morning paper.  I sit at the bar, eat, read....and I watch and listen, interacting with both customers and employees.  And I learn about church...Yup, I sure do.  Everything I need to know about what a church should look like, I could learn at Waffle House--at least the one in Lincolnton, NC.  It's pretty amazing, too.

I see a couple of the cooks who are always willing to step up when someone needs something.  Somebody needs something fixed... "I'll stop by and look at it after work."  This doesn't just apply to employees, but to regulars as well.  There is a microcosm of the larger community there.  There are a core group of regulars, all with nicknames...Preacher (that's me), Cowboy, Santa Claus, and Uncle Eddie (plus the one they just call the Pecan Waffle Lady).  They all seem to know were the others live, crossing both ways over the counter--employees and customers.

I think it was this atmosphere that lead me to feel so compelled when one of the cooks had a fire at his house and everything in the house needed to be replaced due to smoke damage.  I rallied my church and a couple other churches to DO something and we did...but it wasn't just us. Don't get the impression that they NEEDED the church.  They already have that type of community within the walls of the ole Waffle House.

While we were supplying mostly money and gift cards, others (again, customers and employees) were offering rides, paint, furniture, TIME, and other items of need for the cook, his wife, and three teenage daughters.  And my God, they are soo appreciative.  And these are not "church folk" doing all of this stuff we consider to be "church work."  In fact, most of them are right there at the Waffle House while we are in church on Sundays...

What too many of us church folk don't realize is that we don't own the patent on helping others.  In fact, they seemed to do it more naturally than the church in most cases.

I watched this morning as they celebrated when one of them won $1000 in a scratch off.  I realized as I listened that Uncle Eddie and his wife had cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and brought it to the Waffle House for those having to work.  Yup, he brought the servers Thanksgiving meals.  Today, he brought Red Velvet Cake (recipe's been in the family for 150 years).  The young employees all have his number so they can call for a ride if they find themselves in ANY situation where they feel they shouldn't drive, or they need a ride, or they need someone to bail them out of whatever trouble they might find themselves in.  Uncle Eddie's a Vietnam Vet with a big heart and a short temper ("I've got my issues, Preacher!"...Don't we all) but he protects those kids up there like they are his own.

Santa Claus is struggling with his own issues with aging and a wife that took a tumble and had a break.  Employees know right where he lives and go visit.  They take care of their own.  And, too, while they aren't perfect by any means, they genuinely try to share the love with all who enter their doors, whether they know them or not.  Today, there was a couple there and well, based on their accents, they "weren't from aroun' chere."

That sat at the bar with me and Uncle Eddie on a crowded morning and soon, they were laughing, and asking questions about the town.  Then she began to share.

We came down last weekend, me and my sisters and our families to visit our mom.  She got tangled up in her walker the first day we were here...she fell...she broke her hip...she just couldn't muster the strength to survive the surgery...we're taking her body to Florida...keep questioning if we did the right thing...tears, laughter, sadness, hope, fear, feelings of guilt...waffle house sharing...

Soon, the regulars and employees (no preacher needed) were offering comforting words of support and encouragement to these strangers passing through on a tragic journey.  They left as if they, too, were regulars--laughing, hollering above the noise--"Thanks everybody.  Really, thank you so much!  You guys have a great day!  We will be back!"

Yup, there's a lot to learn about church from Waffle House.  And if we could take those lessons back to church with us--there just might be hope for us yet...

Nobody likes a jerk.

Nobody

Don't let being a jerk be your witness for Christ...

If you are a recipient of God's grace 

That means you didn't deserve it...

So act like you know that...

It's important

Really

It is.

That is all

Blessings,

Pastor Tommy

Justice?

Today I met Wayne.  I'm the first to admit I went out on a limb.  But it's ok...

I was in my office at the church, by myself.  I've been fussed at for leaving the door unlocked, but hate the idea of this open hearts, open minds, open doors church being locked EVER, much less when there is someone here.

As I worked on Clergy Assessment forms, suddenly I realized there was someone standing at the door to my office.  When I looked up, a meek voice from a young man wearing a backpack said, "I'm sorry to bother you, but can I use your phone?"  "Sure," I said, "What's going on?"

"Well, it might sound sorta lame, but I just got out of jail and I'm hoping to call someone to come get me.  I walked all the way here so far, but I'm getting tired."  He had walked about 3-1/2 miles to get this far.

I asked his name and handed him the phone.  While he was dialing, I quietly typed his name into a search engine and his picture came up--a mug shot.  So I knew he was telling me the correct name and then I searched for his record.  What I found was a simple FAILURE TO APPEAR and an arrest date of August 3.

I listened as he talked to his grandmother on the phone, trying to give her information on where he was.  He kept asking me about road names as he talked.  He simply couldn't explain to her where he was.  In frustration, he finally asked her, "Grandma, is no one else there?"  I said, "Where are you trying to get to?"  He told me (it was 21 miles away) and I couldn't help myself.  I said, "Tell her you are on your way.  I'll take you."  I texted my wife and told her who I was with and what I was doing (still wanted to be cautious?)

He was grateful and shocked, kept saying over and over that he couldn't believe it.  As we drove, I asked him to tell me the story--how did he end up here.  I believe his story, lines up with what I saw and what I felt.

He is young--early 20's.  He and his girlfriend were trying hard to make it, she found herself pregnant and he lost his mechanic job of four years.  Within months of the baby boy's birth, his girlfriend decided she didn't want to be a mother (no drugs or alcohol, he said, she just couldn't do it)...so she simply left.  Around the time of his losing his job, he got two tickets, one for speeding and one for parking.  In his youth, he made a stupid mistake. He didn't think he deserved either ticket, so he chose not to pay them.

Wanting to do the right thing with his son, he planned to move to Florida to live with his dad, lined up a job and everything!  He took the baby to see his ex girlfriend's parents before he left.  They had a surprise for him in that they didn't want the baby to leave, so they tried to take the baby.  The police got called and when they ran his license, they discovered his failure to appear warrant and a arrested him.  Social Services placed the baby boy with Wayne's sister.  No one could afford bail, so he stayed.  A judge sentenced him to 45 days in jail.  He served the entire time in Lincoln County Detention.  This morning they released him.

Stunned to really get it that he had, in essence, spent a month and a half in jail for a speeding ticket, being kept away from his infant son, all while trying to do right, I had very little to say.  I know what he did was wrong, but really?  I took him to his grandmother's house and dropped him off with my business card.  "Call if you can think of something I might can help you with."  "Are you kidding?  I could never have asked for anyone to do this much for me.  I've never had a church and have been praying all the way I was walking for God to show me one.  I meant one to attend, but then I saw your church and thought...'maybe God still loves me.'"  I assured him that was the case and asked, "What will you do now?"  He said, "Well, I can't be worried about the past.  I've got a son that I love so much (he showed me a picture of the chubby little guy) and I have to take care of him.  I think I've learned I need to think about him before every little thing I do."




And that was it...I'm still stunned...I think of Jesus saying to visit those in jail and you know, he's not what comes to mind in our day, but he's exactly the one Jesus was talking about in his day.  Justice for those who have been treated unjustly.  It's so easy to forget that justice isn't always just.  How many more like him are there?  I don't know.  But then, does it even matter why or how they ended up in jail--we are called to be present...now what do we do with that?