MCDONALDS MINISTRY

First, it must be noted that against all recommended advice; I not only go to McDonalds occasionally, but I actually enjoy it. In fact, every Friday night before Axis band practice, the band has to decide whether to go to Quiznos or Mickey D's. Though I really enjoy subs, I would much rather save $2 and enjoy a tasty meal eating with Ronald McDonald. However, the peer pressure of the guys usually allows me to spend the extra $2 over at Quiznos. Mike Nothum actually keeps telling me that my family will thank him one day, cause he is helping save 5 years to my life by eating a sub instead of a double cheeseburger and fries. . . Thanks Mike, I'm sure I'll thank you in like 50 years.

But for now, I do enjoy a tasty double cheesburger, and I also enjoy studying there on occasions. So yesterday, as I sat down to eat my meal, I believe that the Spirit was prompting me to open up a conversation with the shift manager Manuel who was on his break at the next table. Here is where the battle of sanctification begins: my first reaction was to say, "eat your burger, get your work done, you don't want to be rejected, mind your own business." How stupid is that? I desire to make a difference, but I have second thoughts about striking up a conversation with a McDonalds shift manager. After going back and forth 3 times in my head as to whether to talk with this guy or not, I decided I would go for it. Not knowing a thing to say, I blurted out: "I really like this McDonalds!" There you have it, I told him that I liked his McDonalds, and God used this stupid intro to lead us to talk for about a half hour. I found out the he goes to a Spanish church called Palabra Viva in Mesa. I believe it is Living Word. If it is the one I was thinking of, I know that their theology is very off base in many areas, so my gutt reaction was to show him this. However, in a desire to at least look loving and not just condescending, I asked him what God had been teaching him and what He had been encouraged by at his church. I believe that even this question was going to be my tool to show him that he needed to understand true Biblical theology. . .However, He said that the head pastor calls him frequently, and truly shows that He loves him. WOOOOOOH; I think that I must have looked at my theology book that I was studying and thought to myself,

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."

Since my conversation with Manuel, I have asked myself whether I truly show love for others, or whether I just care about theology. I'm not sure whether Manuel was a Christian, and if he was, I don't know if his theology was very good, but I know this: he knows what love is, and it was exhibited to him by his pastor. . . I love theology, study, and knowledge, but I realized that they are useless unless I exhibit them in love. I was encouraged by this conversation not only because I was able to talk with Manuel about life, church, work, and etc, but I was able to remember that in all things, Love needs to be made manifest. "Lord, please make me truly love people rather than just desire to show them what I know or how I could correct them of their errors. Let the genuine love I have for people cause them to come to know you in a deep way. Amen."

By the way Nothum, the burger and fries were great. . . well worth the 5 years off my life!