Christ-centered moments at IHOP
Is this "drive-by insult" week, or something?
So my friend Michelle and I are at IHOP this morning with three babies: Grace, Natalie, and Connor, who is Grace's age--almost 2. Both Grace and Connor are climbing around the booth and occasionally fighting over the crayons. Both Michelle and I are addressing them when they get too loud, asking them to "use your words" and finding a new way to distract them.
IHOP seemed a bit busier than usual, and our food took a little longer than normal, which added to the frustration on the part of the kids. Connor, in particular, seemed to be having a rough go of it, getting more and more annoyed. We knew it would all be fine once the pancakes arrived.
I took my 2 kids to the bathroom, and apparently while I was gone, a man from the other end of the restaurant used the opportunity to approach Michelle and tell her that he taught his kids how to behave in a restaurant and that she should do the same with her son. Michelle reportedly told him off and he went back to his seat.
Of course, she was in shock that he would imply that she wasn't teaching her child--hadn't he been watching her all along? Plus, Connor and Grace aren't even 2 years old! It's not like we were at a fine restaurant or something--it was IHOP, for crying out loud.
So the first surprise is that after processing for a moment longer, Michelle calmly gets up, goes over to the man, and tells him that she will pray for him. His response is the second surprise: "I'd appreciate it because my family needs the prayer."
Michelle, my friend who describes herself as "more 'fuck you' than diplomatic," showed me how God can inspire us in the most contentious of moments. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you, God.
So my friend Michelle and I are at IHOP this morning with three babies: Grace, Natalie, and Connor, who is Grace's age--almost 2. Both Grace and Connor are climbing around the booth and occasionally fighting over the crayons. Both Michelle and I are addressing them when they get too loud, asking them to "use your words" and finding a new way to distract them.
IHOP seemed a bit busier than usual, and our food took a little longer than normal, which added to the frustration on the part of the kids. Connor, in particular, seemed to be having a rough go of it, getting more and more annoyed. We knew it would all be fine once the pancakes arrived.
I took my 2 kids to the bathroom, and apparently while I was gone, a man from the other end of the restaurant used the opportunity to approach Michelle and tell her that he taught his kids how to behave in a restaurant and that she should do the same with her son. Michelle reportedly told him off and he went back to his seat.
Of course, she was in shock that he would imply that she wasn't teaching her child--hadn't he been watching her all along? Plus, Connor and Grace aren't even 2 years old! It's not like we were at a fine restaurant or something--it was IHOP, for crying out loud.
So the first surprise is that after processing for a moment longer, Michelle calmly gets up, goes over to the man, and tells him that she will pray for him. His response is the second surprise: "I'd appreciate it because my family needs the prayer."
Michelle, my friend who describes herself as "more 'fuck you' than diplomatic," showed me how God can inspire us in the most contentious of moments. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you, God.
posted by Sarah at 4:28 PM
3 Comments:
what a jerk! some folks need to lighten up. another great blog. keep them coming!
hi scott powers!
excellent post. Incidentally, I would, if I were that guy, feel sort of insulted and condescended if someone I had recently had a confrontation with came up to me and said they would pray for me. It would come off as being holier-than-thou to me. However, he is truly a prayerful person, as is Michelle. Neither of them saw it that way.
Great story.
Yeah, i think "I will pray for you" can be condescending, too. It's all in how you say it, though. Clearly, Michelle had the right tone since he responded the way he did.
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