My wife and I and two of our adult children and their spouses took a day trip to Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table and Market in Waco, TX. We arrived and put our name in at the now famous restaurant and took the short drive to the Market to browse and enjoy the 2 hour wait. Fixer-upper fans from way back, we looked forward to our Silo pilgrimage. We strolled around, enjoyed some delicious Jo Jo’s Joe Joe coffee (not the real name, but maybe should be), found some post Christmas deals on a welcome mat and sweatshirt, enjoyed some great sweet tea, smartly packaged in a nostalgically branded mason jar with a sipping straw lid, for which we gladly paid $9 each plus tip. It was surprisingly warm outside and crowded, just a couple of days after Christmas. We got our obligatory “selfies” at the iconic Silos and other photo ops. We did, in fact, enjoy our experience. We returned from Gainesney Land to the “Table” restaurant, just in time to get our text from the hostess stand and be seated. The service was exceptional. Three of our crew have food allergies, one is pretty significant, but our waitress was very cautious, courteous, and accommodating. One had ordered the white chili, but then realized it had too much dairy in it, so the waitress made another recommendation. On top of this, she carefully navigated the boundaries of those of us who were on the edge of hangry and quickly brought some biscuits and strawberry butter to calm the ATX travelers who were dangerously close to pushing the “mean” button and launching everyone into sibling and spousal defcon 3. Everything was so delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal with lots of smiles and laughter. Our wait person even brought out a small complementary bowl of white chili and some spoons just to taste. It was very good. The burgers, chicken and biscuits, and chicken salad croissants, were great. The salad modified for our child who became vegan for health reasons was safe and tasted good! As we were cashing out, the waitress brought some salted caramel candy. My wife said, “where can I buy these” and she said at the shop attached to the restaurant, but it was already closed. So, she brought a few more of these delectable dulces to the table, “on the house.” This woman didn’t know us, yet she was so very kind and helpful. Happy and full we headed back toward the Capital City. The service staff at Magnolia World was like a welcome magnet to us when we were hungry, needed some kind hospitality, and even some extra TLC. The sign on the wall that says, “Where everyone has a seat at the Table,” rang true.
In the early church the Apostle Paul was encouraging one of his young pastors and he was highlighting the Jesus-like attributes of God’s children that would show the church and the world that they belonged to Him. In this particular passage, Paul was talking about widows, but it could well apply to all of us who identify as those belonging to Christ. He says, “She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?”(1 Timothy 5:10 NLT-SE) Now, I have no idea if our Magnolia Table waitress identified herself as a Jesus follower (I don’t think she was a widow or a mother either), but she certainly displayed some of these honorable Christ-like characteristics: kindness to strangers, humble service, always ready to do good… she served her tables well, helped us all avoid the possible embarrassments and regrets of hangry “acting out” and unwelcome comments said in haste. She also modeled how to accommodate people who have unique needs with grace and thoughtfulness. We can be encouraged by this young lady to be kind, do good, stay humble and make a difference in the lives of those we encounter.
Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!
P.S. Kudos Chip and Joanna Gaines for having such a wide-reaching impact with your Magnolia brand, which now, for us, represents kindness, humble accommodation and exceptional service.
