Journey On

It was the perfect Sunday afternoon. I was sitting in a tiny rural town in middle Tennessee known as “Bell Buckle.” Even the name stirs images of the quintessential small town USA. Big front porches, sweet tea and moon pies. And you would be 100% correct. A part of this town never moved on with modern society. It has retained all the most beautiful elements of the “good ole days,” while giving people today the glimmer of hope that this way of life is still alive and well. I found myself perched on an idyllic ice cream parlor porch with the strains of old retro songs infiltrating the summer air. I was enjoying my peach yogurt milkshake immensely when a shiny black truck pulled up to the curb near me. I looked their way and our eyes met, we smiled. All southern folk look each other in the eyes and smile. This older couple appeared to be looking for something. She leaned toward me and my milkshake and asked, “ do you know how much an ice cream cone is? We can't walk well, it's hard to get out of the truck.” I said, “ I don't, but I can find out!” I opened the shop door, the little overhead bell rang announcing my re-entry and the owner came to the counter. I explained there was an older couple who couldn't walk well and they were interested in knowing the price for cones. I had hardly finished my sentence or the imaginary period was barely in place when he, without hesitation said, “Oh, I'll just go out to them!” That he did. The owner spent quite some time at their truck door, curbside. He went back into the shop and reappeared with two strawberry pink ice cream cones. Hand dipped and hand delivered to their truck. Goodbyes exchanged, he went back inside to continue his business. I looked around. His shop was crowded, his customers happily licking cones and two very pleased senior citizens were driving away that had been treated with kindness and respect. It was no wonder. The work ethic and business model for this shop was clearly a step above the care and thoughtfulness much of the rest of the world sees. I smiled. This should be all of us. This should at the very least be every soul that claims the name “Christian. “ We should be going the extra mile, making the effort and treating those around us with love, respect and unusually kind care. Believe me, it will command the attention of the world. It will turn some heads and it will change some lives. Why don't we strive to go the extra mile today, my friend?