Bible Study in public...

[Cright]

Yesterday I had a pretty awesome experience I wanted to share.

I meet with a small group of girls every Monday to study the book of James. This monday one of the girls who hosts couldn't and the other is in Equador on a mission trip so she couldn't either.


The other 5 of us girls decided to meet at a restruant to do this weeks study. We got there and we said grace, ate, then started our study. It lasted from 7 until about 9:30. During this entire time we were surrounded by tables of other people eating and coming in and out. Our waitress knew we were studying the bible. (it was quite obvious with 5 of them open on the table!).

I was so excited that not one person looked at us funny. No one claimed offence to our study. The restruant was very friendly about letting us fill their table. We asked a couple times "is it okay if we're staying to study" to which both replies were "sure, take as long as you'd like".

We ended off the night in prayer and then left a nice big tip on the table at the end of the night too.

It was refreshing all in the middle of the 'world' and talk openly about Christ.

Praise to God that I can live in a country where I can worship Him!

 

[SumTinWong]

That is very cool! We had our first mens group meeting at Plainvile Turkey famrs. A bunch of turkeys talking about Jesus, is pretty funny no matter where it is!

 

[Gold Dragon]

Thanks for the sharing! We are very fortunate to be in countries that give us these freedoms.

 

[PapaLandShark]

[bible]John 15:17-27[/bible]

 

[Maeyken]

That's cool We have a discussion group that meets once a month, and we usually meet in a restaurant too... sometimes people look at us funny but I've never had anyone make a comment. I think it's more that they're curious as to what we're doing.

I too am glad we have the freedom to do so!

 

[ZiSunka]

Cool!!!

 

[Matthan]

Personally, I find this story very, very touching..... Thanks for sharing it with us.

Matthan

 

[ydouxist]

The freedom we enjoy is truly precious.
Thank you for reminding us.

 

[seebs]

We ended off the night in prayer and then left a nice big tip on the table at the end of the night too.

That's particularly good witness. I know some waiters, and apparently, one of the things that can make them unhappy is that some Christians are very poor tippers.

Cool story!

 

[ydouxist]

I know. It's pretty sad that Christians are known for being cheap.

 

[Lutherrunner]

no matter what you do...if you tie up a table for a long time it reduces the opportunitiy for a waitress to make tips off of a new group of people. It is nice that you left a big tip.

 

[Cright]

Yeah.. I was a waitress for a few years when in college after HS. I used to get upset with the "sunday" crowd that would come in, eat and chat for 2 hours and leave a 10% tip.

The last thing I want to do is irritate a waitress working hard for her tips in the name of Christ! We also picked this restruant in particular because at the time we were there, they usually don't have all of their tables filled, so we would not be slowing down the restruant by camping out! hehe

 

[ZiSunka]

That's particularly good witness. I know some waiters, and apparently, one of the things that can make them unhappy is that some Christians are very poor tippers.

Cool story!

I've heard that as a people, we Christians are considered difficult customers and cheap with tips.

 

[seebs]

I've heard that as a people, we Christians are considered difficult customers and cheap with tips.

Uh-huh. A friend of mine who used to wait tables said that the worst part was the Sunday crowd, every Sunday after church, he'd get all these people in their best clothes.... shouting at their children to make them behave, driving big fancy cars, and tipping in small change if anything.

Me... I try very hard to never tip under 15%, and I mostly aim for 20%. I figure it's good witness.

 

[seebs]

Yeah.. I was a waitress for a few years when in college after HS. I used to get upset with the "sunday" crowd that would come in, eat and chat for 2 hours and leave a 10% tip.

Ugh.

Well, I've seen worse.

I once overheard someone loudly lecturing his friends about how stupid it was to extend the minimum wage to cover waiters, too. In a fairly quiet restaurant.

 

[ZiSunka]

My brother in law used to be really cheap with tips. We would all go out to dinner (5 of us or more) and the bill would come to $120 and BIL would leave $5 as a tip! I would stay behind a moment after they all walked out (pretending to button my coat or something) and leave more money. Then my dad and I started offering to leave the tip so we wouldn't be embarassed by the pittance BIL left. Then one day I was on vacation with them and we went out to eat lunch. The bill came to $35 and the restaurant had added 15% for gratutity. BIL got mad and threw a hissy and said they couldn't tell him how much to leave and just for that he wasn't going to give any tip at all. I looked at him, opened my wallet, took out a 20% tip and handed it to the manager, all the while glaring at BIL with a scowl. As we left, I told him that most wait staff don't even get minimum wage and they depend on the tip to be their wage. He was quiet all afternoon. But he has never left a skimpy tip again!

I say, if you are with someone who won't tip reasonably, shame them! Not loudly or harshly, but with love.

 

[seebs]

... I wonder how many of these people just don't realize that waiters are pretty much depending on tips to eat.