Chasing Courage

"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony"
- Colossians 3:14

It’s Friday night and an hour before the big dinner rush at the Heathmean Restaurant and Bar. The executive sous chef and the sous chef are preparing the prep cooks for the night while servers, buses, and other prep cooks are underway with their nightly routine. The natural buzz of the kitchen is in full force, my pastry station is right in the mix of it all, and I’m mindful of them, and they’re definitely mindful of me.

The executive sous chef curses every other sentence. He’s extremely passionate about food and the excitement from the evening has him cursing more than usual. This wouldn't be the first time this situation has occurred, in fact other co-workers and chefs have apologized to me on occasion. Racing thoughts and surprised, I look at him, he looks at me, and he immediately apologies. I simply nod my head and continue doing my pastry prep for the night. I respect the fact that he apologized to me, however, I am a little taken back as this particular night seems different.

The reality:

I don’t want people to be uncomfortable around me and feel like they can’t be themselves because I am a Chrisitan.

​As the night goes on and as the dinner rush concedes, I clock out and begin my daily walk home as thoughts regarding the chef and the moment we shared come to mind. 

I’m not offended when people curse in front of me, in fact, it’s the norm and a part of the lingo when working in a restaurant kitchen. So if I were to get offended every time I heard a "bad" word, I'd definitely need to rethink my profession. Yes, I could make my life easier by asking the man to stop rather than giving him thought-provoking looks throughout the night, but sometimes I have to make things harder for myself.

I believe that the executive sous chef recognized the spirit of God in me, and I don’t hide the fact that I’m a Christian in the workplace nor do I overshare it and most of my co-workers know that I don’t work Sunday mornings because I go to church.  When a co-worker tells me her mom is sick, don't hesitate to tell her I’ll pray for her. I don’t want to go around saying I’m a Christian but rather I want people to see Christ in me in my actions in my work space. I want people to see love and feel love, and this is a prayer I can remember praying and asking God, to let people see Him when they see me. 

This prayer and many prayers like this have shown me that when the spirit of God (Love) comes to live in me; then I’ll be the outward expression of Love. In my daily living I’ll reflect God's Love, and as I reflect God's Love; others will clearly see that my radiance comes from Him and Him alone.

I don’t want to wait and experience God’s love and attention just on Sunday mornings but every day. Most of our time, most of my time, is spent at work. Why not share God’s love there? I’m not talking about pulling out your bible and reading the word, that’ll probably get you a few side eyes. You can’t force your faith on someone else but you can definitely share it through your actions, and as a result of this, people will start to recognize Christ in you. Much like the executive sous chef.

Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Instead share the gospel and God’s love in other avenues.

1. Pray for your workplace and your co-workers
2. Be nice to that co-worker who did you wrong and yes pray for them too
3. Help others with their workload when you can
4. Smile and say hi to your co-workers and offer them words on encouragement

​Dear Lord, I pray for moments of love and opportunities to share your love. That when others look at me, they see your presence and that I can see your presence in the people around me. Remind me that what matters in the end is love.

- Mona