Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
37Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Yesterday was my last day at Starbucks. It was a strange week leading up to Friday, my last day. Last week God taught me a lesson in love.
I have worked for Starbucks Coffee Company for two years. Starbucks is a great company. They care about their employees, and they encourage all store managers to care for the partners in their stores. Going to work for them brought certain doubts and concerns around how I would handle being faced with values that are in direct contrast to my own. It took much prayer to know that this is where God wanted me. Almost immediately after starting with Starbucks, I came face to face with the values. The manager at my training store, Rhonda, is gay as was half of her staff. And here is was. Even on my first day I had to begin to learn how to handle myself, represent my Lord, and be obedient. But what does that look like? How do I do that at work? Should I?
Well, Rhonda learned quickly through our many one to one talks that I am a family man and devoted Christ follower. Yet even when she learned how "religious" I was she didn't seem to be offended. I would later realize that the Lord was protecting this relationship even at that early stage.
Fast forward one year. I am now at my second store, and a very high profile, high volume store at that. Rhonda has just been promoted to District Manager and guess what District she gets. You go it; mine. This lady whom I had gotten to know, one whom I initially feared might be at odds with my beliefs, was now my boss. Over the next year I was blessed to see our relationship grow and deepen with a mutual respect. We accepted each other right where we were, in spite of our differences. There was no condemnation. We knew what the other believed. And this should have served as a barrier between us. But the Lord would not have it. He wanted us to trust and respect each other.
So fast forward again, our district is comprised of 10 stores. Half of our store managers are gay. Only 3 attend church. One is into Buddhism. Very quickly everyone learns who I am and what I "do on Sundays." I have the opportunity to work closely with all of them on various projects. Some are more guarded around me than others, but in hindsight I see that the Lord was faithfully protecting all of these relationships. I become pretty close to most of them. Again, there is a sense of mutual respect and acceptance that defies my expectations.
Then there is the staff of 25 people at my store. Over the year that I am at this store I bear witness to the Lord bringing 6 professing Christ-followers into my staff at various stages of their walks ranging from new believers to youth counselors and a senior pastor. AT A STARBUCKS! I hired only two of them. My assistant manager made the independent decision to hire the rest. We bond as a team and I see before my eyes a camaraderie and cohesiveness overtake our entire staff. That team is amazing. Our customers take notice and ask on a regular basis what has changed. The Lord was at work. Within his hands our store is safe. We can be real with each other.
It is within my store that I feel the strongest bonds develop. My team allows me to hold them accountable for high performance expectations, and still seek my advice and encouragement on personal problems. We see each others more as equals with different levels of responsibility, than boss and staff. I begin to receive a few "seeking type" questions about my beliefs, and even a few prayer requests. Its amazing to watch and be a part of. My assistant managers watch me intently. Our conversations drift further and further into the concept of appropriately loving on everyone WE SERVE. They begin to act as servant leaders themselves, and the staff responds to them in a similar way that they respond to me. And none of this happens by any specific intent or agenda on my part. The Lord was leading us. He was in control.
So, when my last day finally arrived, I was a bit more saddened than I expected. In the past when it came to work, I have never been accused of being "gushy." So when I walked into my store and saw a dozen balloons that said "You will be missed", a card signed by the staff, the entire staff smiling mischievously, I have to admit it got to me.
The shift runs flawlessly. Customers take time to bid me farewell and to ask me to keep in touch. One told me to call her so we could go to happy hour. I didn't have to heart to tell her I don't really drink, and being married I was uncomfortable with the invitation. I understood the gesture, and that was enough. My employees take extra time to stay late, come in early, and come by even though they were off, just to say good bye. It was hugs all around. I was humbled and emotionally touched. On my way home I get phone calls from some of my peer managers. In one particular call, she wanted to reach out and let me know what our friendship has meant to her. Her call really meant a lot to me. (She's gay, too.)
I have spent my time since yesterday reflecting on the last two years. I have spent extra time thinking about the outpouring of gratitude and affection offered by my boss, my peers and my staff. It was so unexpected and so humbling. I have never left a job that hurt so bad to leave. In these moments God has spoken to me. He has shown me in a deeply personal way what he has been doing with this time. He's been showing me how to love on people; all people. He's been showing me how powerful that is and what it means to others.
Which brings me to my deepest revelation. I took this job expecting to be at odds with "gay people." I expected that there would be friction. I expected them to hate me, though I did not hate them. Honestly, though I didn't realize it at the time I had a pious and judgmental opinion that a Christ-follower and a gay person could never work closely together without there being conflict. I even had this attitude about most non-Christians, though I would never have believed it.
The Lord has been showing me how to accept PEOPLE and to love them unconditionally. Every person I have mentioned, and many more I have met and worked with knows what the scripture says about certain lifestyles. Each of them has hinted at being harmed by "Christians" or "the Church" in the past. God had me here to show them love and acceptance; something they have seen far too little of. And to my surprise, it was something I had to learn how to do. The Lord has revealed to me that loving people where they are is not the same as accepting sin present in their lives. And this should have been so clear to me. It is exactly what Jesus did for me.
Through the relationship that developed, the one he allowed and protected, God allowed me to sprinkle truth into people's lives. And I was blessed to see him begin to work in many of them. Its up to him to finish what he has started, and that is how he wanted it from the beginning.
Love: show them love. I am completely humbled at all that has happened. I am fully in awe of how the Lord works. I pray that he has found me as obedient as my weakness and little-faith has allowed. He is so much greater than my weakness and ignorance. He has taught me much.
I begin a new season at a new opportunity on Monday. I intend to take this lesson in love with me into this new assignment. I pray that he will give me the faith and courage to boldly love on people, right where they are, and serve them as he works in their lives.
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Shine On - Mercy Me
If we're to be the light
That shines for all of man
Then how can we light the way
If we don't go to them
I believe to know God's heart
Is to meet them where they are
Won't you shine on
Won't you shine on
You can shine on
Shine on
In all that's said and done
And everything you do
Just let your life glorify
The one who shines on you
I believe we worship Christ
When we show the world His light
Won't you shine on
Won't you shine on
You can shine on
Shine on
