Family Meal Deal!!!

Every once in a while, I get to spend some time alone with one or two of the kids instead of all of us altogether. In these moments, I try to "understand" my child(ren) and truly try to listen to hear what they may or may not be telling me. The other day, I had one of those days with my son.

We spent some time together and then I told him we could eat WHEREVER he chose (within financial reason). Now, if you personally know me then you know that I'm sort of a foodie!!! I love great quality food! My pallet was wonderfully made by God and it is very blessed. So imagine my face now as my son requests that we go to Kentucky Fried Chicken!!!! I swallowed my "growl face" and put on a great big smile for my lil man and told him "Ok!" This was a very difficult task for me to not show him the emotion behind the "Ok" (I will give him lessons another time on what it really means when a woman solemnly states those two syllables. lol.)

So, off we go to KFC to share a meal together and talk about whatever it is that he wants to discuss and/or just be together. We ordered our meals and then sat down in the eating area. As we began eating, the conversations was flowing about why he chose where we were, what he likes eating on their menu, and what would he like to do afterwards.

All of the sudden, our attention was drawn away from our own conversation as suddenly we were startled with yelling. "(Insert Name Here), I TOLD YOU NOT TO MAKE ANYMORE CHICKEN! GREAT, NOW WE HAVE SEVEN FREAKING TRAYS OF CHICKEN. WONDERFUL, ALL THIS CHICKEN AT THIS HOUR. DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO STOP MAKING CHICKEN?"

Of course, our heads (as well as other customers') turned to the direction the abrupt yelling came from as we watched in horror as the manager yelled at one of her employees. We watched the employee stare like a deer in headlights and then he began to speak. (He spoke softly so we could not hear his words but visually we could see as he attempted to get some words out.) Suddenly again: I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK. I DON'T WANT YOU TO MAKE ANYMORE CHICKEN. I SAID NO MORE CHICKEN. GREAT, SEVEN TRAYS OF CHICKEN. CRISPY CHICKEN. EVERYBODY LISTEN UP AND PUSH THE CRISPY CHICKEN BECAUSE (Insert Name Here) MADE TOO MUCH CRISPY CHICKEN. The manager stammers off somewhere and all the employees kind of snickered and went back to their stations. Most of the customers resumed eating as the silence returned.

My son and I began to carry on a conversation; which was now headed in a different direction. We began to speak about the scene we had just witnessed and how horrible that performance was. And then....it returned again for yet another round....SEVEN TRAYS OF CRISPY CHICKEN. IS EVERYBODY PUSHING THE CRISPY CHICKEN NOW THAT (Insert Name Here) MADE TOO MUCH CHICKEN. WHO MAKES SEVEN TRAYS OF CRISPY CHICKEN AT THIS HOUR? and again she walked around the kitchen in a circle and kept going until the young employees stopped what they were doing to listen to her humiliate and berate the other employee.

Now when I tell you she was loud (that's why the "all caps"--it's my typing yelling voice), I'm not kidding...it was completely silent and this lady was dominantly loud. She would yell. Repeat. Harp. Ridicule. Nag. Carry on and all very loudly.

Finally, some long silence ensued and the business of chitter chatter returned. One employee quickly sauntered from behind the counter to go clean up the dining area. As he stopped near our table I turned to him and asked him, "Does she always behave like that to the employees?" The employee stared at me as if the manager was going to run out and attack me. So I spoke again,  "All I'm saying is that if that were my child, I would be quite upset for him/her to be treated that way with the berating, humiliation and ridicule." The employee looks around and then replies: "Well, she's just upset because we are running out of everything tonight and she is stressed out." (What a good employee justifying his employers negative behavior and remaining faithful to her defense.) I replied, "Hmmmm....still doesn't make it right. I'm sorry for you and for all of you back there. In fact, I'm sorry we had to witness the whole episode." The uncomfortable employee again looks around and then says, "I'm sorry she behaved that way." I kinda smiled and said, "that's kind of you to apologize for someone else's behavior, but you are not responsible for her actions. I hope you all have a better night." He smiled, nodded and went back into the kitchen quickly. Within minutes I saw him pull her aside and begin whispering. She listened intently to what he was saying and then retreated to her office. She never brought up the chicken again while I was there and we were able to enjoy the rest of our meal with only the sound of our own chitter chatter.

So, why am I blogging about this nasty manager and the way she treated her employees? That lady was ugly--and I'm not talking about her physical appearance--I'm talking about the "down south way of speaking" downright mean and ugly behaving.

Later on at night I was busy about doing some housework and then the Lord nudged at me. He began pulling on my heart. He made me replay THE SEVEN TRAYS OF CHICKEN over and over and over and over and over again in my mind until my soul was even more stirred than it was when I had experienced it.  It was then I knew what I dreaded to hear from Him was coming---"You. You, Christina. You, Christina ARE that Manager. You treat my children that way. The kids that I, the Lord, gave to you to borrow, to train, to raise, to teach. You nag them. You yell at them. You harp on them. You ridicule them. You berate them. Your kids are Mine--they belong to me, the Lord of Lords, The King of Kings." I was quickly reminded of Psalms 127:3  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As much as I wanted to believe it wasn't so. My head hung low. My heart sank and then I began to weep. The conviction I began to feel. Then the Lord reminded me of what I had said to that employee: ""All I'm saying is that if that were my child, I would be quite upset for him/her to be treated that way with the berating, humiliation and ridicule." Ouch.

Immediately after hearing these things from within my soul, I went to my husband and began telling him all about both situations I had faced. I was no longer going to deny that I was not doing the best job with my children as unto the Lord. I began praying and I was reminded of Proverbs 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. and that my job is to not stir up anger but to give soft answers unto these children. I was reminded also that in Ephesians 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  I am not to provoke these children but to raise. love and nurture them all while teaching them that I, too, have an Authority to answer to.

I guess now I know why we had to eat KFC that day and now this is a lesson I won't soon forget. Thank you Jesus.