It is one of those little breakfast and lunch places tucked away in an industrial area with a good menus, friendly waitresses, and delightful ambiance. Larry and I discovered we both had a warm spot for this place today. He and his wife eat there fairly often, and I had not set foot in the place for 15 years. But the memory of that oasis of grace was tangible as I talked to an older version of the young women who opened it in 1993. Today we discussed feeding the homeless and poor, the last time I ate their I was not homeless, but I was very, very poor.
I had taken a business to business, commission only sales opportunity. It was brutal for a mild mannered pastor type like myself to face hour after hour of rejection, overcoming sales resistance, and struggling to knock of 50 doors to get 12 interviews, to get 3 sales, (at least that's they way the manual says to do it) It was for me a crushing, depressing, and desperate three months. My once or twice weekly lunch there was peaceful, restorative, and memorable. A small respite of hope that enabled me to survive another week.
The events of those months brought me to the end of myself in a few crucial ways and wrought some spiritual transformations in me that a still reaping inner and outer fruit in my life today.
The tough times we face are hurting all kinds of people. I do not write this to promise God will rescue you, but just to share that He was there, I survived to return to my calling....and I have a respect for commisioned sales people deeper that you can understand. Thank you Pepper Sauce Cafe, Thank you God, and please Lord, help those struggling in jobs they hate to feed their families.
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