I love Chick-fil-A. I love their great service. I love their clean restaurants. I love how they ask you if you want a refill and then they bring you an after dinner mint. Love em! If you’ve ever been to a Chick-fil-A then there is no doubt that you have heard them say, “my pleasure.” They say it in replace of you’re welcome. I went to a Chick-fil-A once in the sticks of North Carolina. The person working the drive thru was “my pleasure” happy. I knew they were on auto-pilot and just saying the phrase so I decided to mess with them a little bit. I decided to say something to them that didn’t fit having a “my pleasure” response. As I’m leaving the drive through I said, “have a nice day.” He responded with “my pleasure.” I laughed.
One morning on the way to a video shoot I told some of the guys that I work with about that story. We were headed to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. The guys in the car said that I should try it again. This time I through out something and I had no idea how they would respond. After they repeated my order I said and I quote, “I love you.” Without even flinching the voice in the drive thru box said, “I love you too.” They didn’t pause. They didn’t stumble. They didn’t even say “my pleasure.” They boldly said “I love you too.” Amazing! We laughed about that for minutes.
This past week in my Adult Community Group we talked about some very convicting verses from the Bible. 1 John 3:10 “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”
I love you is such a personal thing to say. I didn’t tell my wife that I loved her until I proposed to her. I feel awkward saying I love you to friends. Saying I love you is not something that you just throw around. But according to this verse it is something that should be evident of Christ Followers. You can’t follow Jesus and hate someone.
When you think about what Chick-fil-A is known for you think about a lot of really good things. When you think about what Christians are known for you think about a lot of really negative things. What if Christians were known more for what they were for then what they were against? What if Christians were known for how they love others even when they disagree with them? What if Christians were known for their love? It would change the world.
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Is it awkward for you to say I love you? Do you love Chick-fil-A?
I love your message here. Such good stuff, but really, a pickle on top of a piece of chicken? Who would even think of something so downright nasty? Who I ask you? I can taste the bile in my mouth …
I hate the pickle. I guess it shows that nothing is perfect.
mmm, chick fil a. yep, I love you wasn’t easy for me either. I think that may not be a bad thing though…I am suspicious of people who say it flippantly. maybe it’s just cuz i’m from New England?
I’m not from New England and I don’t like to say it. If someone that I don’t know tells me that they love me I wonder what they want to sell me.
We live and die Chick-fil-a. Eat there at least 1x a week… b/c it’s good and easy for the kids. 🙂
Plus it has a kids night where they eat free!
Great perspective! We as Christians don’t do ourselves any favors in the “love” department. Christ’s unconditional approach set the pace from which we tend to fall short with our holier-than-though approach to everything. For the record, I love, love, love Frank’s RedHot sauce – I’m salivating while typing…is that so wrong?
If that’s wrong I don’t want to be right. I often salivate for foods that I love.
I love you…r blog.
Seriously, though, that’s a phrase I rarely deploy in reference to people. I might say love football, fun board games like Carcassonne or Settlers of Catan, or I might say I love Wipeout. But that’s not the same kind of expression of love as the one expressed to a person. The former is a lot easier.
And sadly, I’ve never been to a Chick-fil-A. They’re few and far between in southeastern Michigan. In fact, the restaurant locater says there are only two anywhere near me, and they’re both over 40 miles away. And one is in Ohio, which is practically a foreign country.
Wow! If I could mail it to you and make sure that it still tasted good I would. It’s amazing.
That is so funny that they said it back. Haha. I know we’re a bit partial since Billy works there, but I always compare other restaurants customer service and cleanliness to CFA and it’s never the same. I agree that Christians should be the cut above, too! Great post…made me laugh AND think. 🙂
Thanks. It is my goal to make people laugh and think. I’m serious about that. I love that you put that in the comment.
Laugh and think? So your goal is to make people thaugh.
When you put a new tagline in your header in five or six years, I expect “thaugh” to be part of it.
Why “thaugh”? Why not “link”? Or both?
Because link is already a word. Inventing a word that already exists is no fun.
Also think the new Robshep.com is lookin spiffy!
Me too
Thank you both!
I’m a words of affirmation type of person (from the five love languages book, pretty insightful concept for relationships) so I’m fairly comfortable with the I Love You thing with those I’m close to.
Also, new format looks good, but I kinda miss the “like” button and having my profile disqus profile cached for quick reply
And I miss being able to edit out typos out 😉
Sorry about that. I think you can still get a picture. I have one for some reason. I’m not sure how I got one but I do. So do some other bloggers. I’ll try to figure out how to get that so you can have a pic.
Rob,
I am deeply, madly, wholly in love with you
r new blog theme.
Thanks! Burrill and you think alot when it comes to jokes. Both got me and were funny.
Why do you think he keeps asking me to guest post for him? It’s like he’s not even gone!
And for the record, I think Ricky executed the joke better.
I’d love to love Chick-Fil-A but alas it does not exist in Australia 🙁
One day ….
One day is right. It’s a shame.
Do you have a Facebook page or Twitter? Would love to follow you there, I’m on my iPhone and love reading your stuff!