Leave a good tip

On Thursday, our family observed a day of Sabbath. This wasn't anything special, per se. Basically, I didn't do anything for ministry. (Confession time. I am a work-a-holic. This is a trait I inherited from my mom.) Taking an entire day without any ministry happens far too little in my life. I need to be more disciplined about taking breaks.

Near the conclusion of the day, Matthew, Michelle, and I went to East Side Mario's for dinner. (Side note: it's a great little place to eat.) If you know me at all, you know I can be rather frugal at times. Well, when we were deciding where to go for dinner, I asked Michelle to find the coupons. This would determine our dining destination. Well, East Side Mario's had a "buy one dinner, get one free" coupon. We have a winner!!

So we sit down for dinner and up comes our waitress. The first thing I do is ask her if we need to give her the coupon. She goes ahead and takes it then ask for our drink orders. Michelle and I both ordered water with lemon. (I really couldn't justify $2.49 for a soft drink.)

At this point I get the vibe from the waitress that she is thinking we are cheap. Well, she is half right. I am cheap when it comes to ordering my food; however, I am not cheap with my tips. Unfortunately, the waitress couldn't distinguish between the two.

This became painstakingly obvious when my water was seldom refilled and her visits to our table were infrequent most of the meal. She was polite, but not very present.

So the meal ends and she brings our bill. I always smile when I feel like I saved some money. :-)

When it came time to calculate the tip, I added the cost of my "free" meal into the deal and figured out what a 15% tip would be and rounded up. I do the same thing at Applebees when we go for half price appetizers after 9:00pm. (Another frugal dining experience.)

When it comes to living my life, I look at how God treats me and tip others accordingly. Even when I only give half of my effort, God still blesses me with all of His love. He pours out His Spirit regardless of my accomplishments.

Whether it's dining on the town, walking the halls of your school, engaging the co-worker in the next office, or shopping in the mall, God calls us to give what we have, whether the other person deserves it or not. Whether it's 15%, a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement, be sure to leave a good tip.

shine!
Jason