by Dale Reeves

Story Pastor

 

Yesterday was one of those long, but fulfilling, days in ministry for me. You know, the kind that produces a “good tired” feeling at the end of the day, when you lay your head on your pillow and thank God for his goodness and provision for the day that is done. For much of Cincinnati it was their bonus holiday—Opening Day for the 2025 Cincinnati Reds season. People would start heading downtown in the early morning to beat the traffic, get parked, and claim their spot for the 106th Opening Day Parade, now known as the Findlay Market Parade.

 

My day, however, started out at Waffle House. I rolled out of bed, showered, and got dressed, hoping to slip out of the house by 5:00 am so that my wife could get one more hour of sleep before she had to get ready to receive three of our heathen (our precious grandkids) for the day. They were going to watch the parade on TV, and I would get home in time to watch some of the Reds vs. the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park, with the first pitch at 4:10 pm.

 

But a lot needed to happen before then, thus my trip to Waffle House to get fueled up for the day. As I walked into the restaurant, there was only the cook, one of his friends, and my server named Kelly in the place. I was greeted, invited to sit anywhere I wanted, and asked if I wanted coffee and if I already knew what I wanted to order. Yes and Yes! After placing my order, I had a few moments to do my daily Bible reading and devotion, while a video on the proud cook’s phone played in the background, in which I could hear the laughter of his preschooler. In silence I said a quick prayer for him and his family. Soon, thereafter, Kelly returned with my food, and upon being thanked, she responded, “My pleasure!” I had to look around and make sure I wasn’t at Chick-fil-A. No, it was definitely Waffle House.

 

Eating with Sinners

As I sat and ate my two over-easy eggs, grits, sausage patties, and raisin bread toast, my mind raced through the upcoming events of my day . . . finish the blog that would be due to Dezra by early afternoon (I had a few ideas going, but wasn’t sure the total direction just yet); meet with the communications team and discuss any last-minute details for Baptism Sunday; prep for the memorial service in our chapel at which I would be speaking that afternoon; and get the room ready for week four of my current Grief Recovery Method group later that evening.

 

Kelly returned and asked if I needed anything else, and I replied, “If I could get a large coffee to go, that would be great!”

 

“My pleasure,” she said again.

 

Two burly dudes entered the restaurant who had just gotten out of a pickup truck, and as they walked in, one guy said hello to me, and told me they were on their way to West Virginia. I asked him where home was, and he responded, “Houston.”

 

I replied, “Cool, we lived in Clear Lake on the south side of Houston for four and half years.”

 

He shot back, “I live in Deer Park.”

 

“Oh, yeah, I know exactly where that is,” I said. “There were several families in our church who lived in that area.”

 

As I put on my coat and stood up from the table, my new friend said, “Blessings, man.”

 

“Backatcha!” I said. “Safe travels.”

 

Then as I paid my bill, I commented to the cook, “Your grits were awesome, because sometimes they can get a little lumpy, you know?”

 

As I got in my car and started the engine, I looked over on the passenger seat and saw a copy of the book, Eats with Sinners: Loving Like Jesus, written by a pastor from Colorado, my friend Arron Chambers. I was planning to use a quote or two from his book in my blog. And, then, it was as if God’s Spirit said to me, “You big dummy,” (a nod to Fred G. Sanford of Sanford and Son), “there’s your blog!”

 

Conversing with My Friend Jesus

This past Sunday, our lead pastor Brad Wilson began a new teaching series entitled, “Who is Jesus?” and in his first message he talked about how Jesus is the ultimate friend, offering us a relationship deeper than any human companionship. Jesus befriended outcasts, sinners, and the broken, showing that true friendship is selfless and sacrificial. In case you missed that teaching, you can check it out here.

 

In his amazing book, Eats with Sinners, author Arron Chambers says,

“Jesus was a magnet for lost people. They were drawn to him because he was drawn to them. The rejected found acceptance, the hurt found healing, the judged found the Judge to be surprisingly nonjudgmental. The Gospel writer Luke penned these words: ‘The tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them”’ (Luke 15:1, 2, NIV) . . . . Jesus truly loved sinners, so he ate with them.”

 

I ate with some sinners yesterday morning for breakfast. And they watched me (a sinner) eat as well. The only way any of us sinners are getting out of this human condition called sin is to accept the “friend request” Jesus offered all of us through the cross of Calvary. One of Jesus’ closest companions while on this earth, the apostle John, writes, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13, NLT).

 

When we accept Jesus’ friend request, it opens up a relationship in which we can walk side by side, through the ups and downs of life. It’s not a one-sided dialogue, but a two-way conversation because he is our friend.

 

The words of a poem written to a mother from a despondent son, recently immigrated from England to a remote area of Canada in the mid-nineteenth century, still ring in my heart today:

 

“What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear—

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

—Joseph Medlicott Scriven (1819–1886)

 

Today, Lord Jesus, I pray for my friends at Waffle House. I pray for the family of the one who recently passed away from this earth. I pray for those who are contemplating stepping into the waters of baptism, and beginning a new life this coming Sunday. I pray for my courageous friends who are walking through a tough grief recovery journey. Thank you, Father, for bearing all our sins and griefs, thank you for being my friend and constant companion, and thank you that we have the privilege of carrying everything to you in prayer!