Ruth

I get to meet many people that eat at my restaurant. I love meeting new people. I love greeting them and smiling at them. I love getting to know them and hugging them and learning about their lives. I love to give love and to receive it too! Don't we all?
One woman that I got to know and love is named Ruth.
Ruth and her husband Tom, came into my restaurant one afternoon and asked for a meal that wasn't microwaved. They have never owned a microwave and believe that is harmful for them to eat any food cooked in a microwave.
Now..just think how much YOU use your microwave. We use it a lot! We warm up the sticky rolls, soup if it's cold, we melt hot fudge, we warm up hamloaf, etc...

But not everything is microwaved...so we came up with a good meal for Tom and Ruth that was microwave free! Tom and Ruth loved it!
They came in again a few days later. They found something else, and Joe cooked their meal for them and made sure there were no microwaves involved.
Again and again...It was fun, because we'd do things differently, and it took a little longer, but we knew how happy we were making Tom and Ruth, and it became a pleasure to do this for the sweet couple. We'd stick desserts under warming lamps, we'd turn the oven on...anything we could do to honor these requests!
Ruth and Tom came in so often, they were known by all my servers. They asked each server's name, and would write something kind about them in their journals. They would tell me how special each server was. The servers began to love when Tom and Ruth came in.
Ruth has trouble walking up stairs, so she'd have to use the bathroom through the kitchen. We'd lead her to the bathroom, but she came in so often, soon she'd just get up and walk through the kitchen herself..without even asking! Ha! I loved that! It was like she was part of our family!
Ruth started asking the kitchen crew their names. She'd thank them for doing such a good job cooking their meal that evening. She'd tell them how good it tasted. They beamed from that! My kitchen doesn't get to hear customers responses to often! THe servers do...but the cooks who make the food, don't get praised nearly enough! *I will have to remember to do that even more often!!*
SO Ruth would say hello to the kitchen crew..even the dishwasher and thank them. Soon, the kitchen crew got to know Ruth! If one of them was off for the night, the next time Ruth came in she'd say, "Where were you Pam? I was here and you weren't!" Pam would laugh and say, "I can't believe she noticed I wasn't here!"
Ruth and Tom are AMAZING people! They are so full of love, it makes my heart swell just to write their names and think about them.
Last night were Ruth and Tom's last visit to our restaurant. They are moving to Tennessee. They are getting older and can no longer live on the farm that they lived on for a long time. They needed a smaller house where Ruth could get around better.
Ruth and Tom brought along the family that bought their house, in last night for dinner. They are hoping the family will continue the tradition of coming to the Tavern for meals, just like they did. They wanted to pass their beautiful tradition on...
I got Ruth's new address and I promised I'd write to her and Tom. I'm going to get a card and have all of the Tavern Family sign it and write something special on it!
I love you Ruth and Tom. In the short time we got to know you, you impacted our lives. You made it a point to make each person at the Tavern feel loved and respected..you made everyone feel appreciated! You are AMAZING Ruth! I hope I can be like you. You touched my life! You showed Jesus to other people! That's Christ's love you have inside of you...you and I both know that!
I will always remember you! God will follow you to Tennessee *or perhaps you're following GOd to Tennessee..but you know He is all you need and He is with you wherever you go!* I love you, Susan