What's up guys,
The momentum is rolling around here as we prepare for Kairos Kafe in Gardendale. I have to be honest. I am so excited that I am about to bust! This weekend Jeremy and I, along with most of my staff, spent time up in Gardendale tweaking the Vision that I have for the place, and we came up with some really awesome new ideas. It is definitely going to be an awesome place. I can't wait till we open up them doors! On Saturday evening, I had to go around back to lock the door, and standing there looking at highway 31 and noticing that Mt. Vernon Methodist Church was right at my back door, I felt an overwhelming sense of Peace, and I knew that this was what God had planned for me all along... it felt like home. (I have Katered several Weddings at that Church and we were always overwhelmed by their hospitality and kindness...)
On the home front though, I have some awesome Specials planned for you next week. One was born out of pure frustration... Kairos Caesar Salad with grilled chicken... I have been seeing a young lady who loves Caesar Salads, and I have been in the habit of giving hers a taste when we are out. Just this past Sunday I was disappointed with hers... and I realized that I have never made one for you guys! So, that's the Special this week and the Caesar Dressing that I have come up with is both unique and full of delicious goodness! The Fish is one of my favorites...pan seared Tilapia with White Wine - Cilantro Sauce... the Soup is Cream of Potato and the Veggie is our Broccoli Kasserole. The Kairos Kwick Menu includes Cheesy Chicken Baked Ziti, Cheeseburger Baked Ziti, and Granny's Poppyseed Chicken Kasserole... This week I have also added our Pepperoni Baked Ziti! Mmm Mmm! I love this recipe because it is a Pasta dish that comes out piping hot and tasting like my favorite Pepperoni Pizza! I hope you enjoy it.
I want to share with you guys something that God has been doing in one of the guys on my staff. I asked him if I could share some of his story with you and I explained how in my e-mail I always try to share some of the lessons we are all learning here as we "build relationships around food." He said he would be honored.
The last 6 months as we prepare to expand it has been very crucial for me to train all of my staff how to prepare every dish just like I do it. It has really been a great time, and we are all learning together, but with this one particular fella I seemed to continue to hit a wall with him time and again. During a kitchen meeting Jeremy and I were trying to get to the bottom of it... and I was a bit frustrated when excuses started pouring out and when he started to blame everybody for his own shortcomings...
Fed up, I said "The problem here doesn't seem to be with everybody else. The problem here is with you. I have been watching you and it is clear to me that you won't allow anyone to help you. We don't need you to be a hero. We need you to be part of a team!"
Immediately he got tears in his eyes and I thought maybe I had been too harsh with him. I try to be very sensitive to the feelings of my staff but at the same time I have learned that I have to be very firm and confront issues when they rise up. But, when you touch on a nerve, you never know what the next reaction will be...
As soon as the meeting was over he came up to me and said he wanted to talk... "James, you are right. I do refuse to let anybody help me... I don't know what it is, but I always feel like I have something to prove." I explained to him that at Kairos he doesn't have anything to prove because he is already fully accepted. If I didn't want him or accept him then he wouldn't be part of my team... The next words he spoke broke my heart.
"You don't understand" he said with tears now streaming freely down his face... "All my life people have made fun of me. They say that my face is shaped funny, that I am stupid, that I talk funny, and that I will never be able to do anything..." Understand that he didn't say this in a self-pitying tone, but rather in a matter of fact tone that surprised me. This is also a man who has a lot of pride in doing a good job and being a good man. At this point I had tears streaming down my face as well.
I explained to him that I did understand how it feels to be rejected and made fun of, and that I knew how hard that is and how that can cause us to believe lies that are buried deep in our hearts. Those lies cause us all sorts of emotional pain once we are adults... But then I told him that Jesus could set him free if he would allow Him to speak the Truth to him...
Later we had a meeting with my Pastor, Steve Longenecker, and this man told us a lot of the painful things that had went on in his childhood. Kids can be cruel, and for him the pain was multiplied because a lot of the harmful things that were said and done to him came from his very own family... in my mind, I am sitting here thinking that this was a huge wall of hurt that would be difficult to break through...
But Jesus. He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine when we are hungry for His Truth. Right there in that office, Jesus spoke the Truth to this man and tore that wall right on down. The next day, it seemed as if I had a brand new man working behind the line in the kitchen, and everyday he just keeps on getting better! For me, I am so honored to share in even a small part of someone finding freedom! Wow! When Jesus speaks the Truth to us it doesn't come as some new idea or philosophy. It comes as a life changing Word from the One who created us! And we will never be the same. I know this is true for this man. Jeremy and I both remarked that we could see him running his very own Kairos Kafe one day, if he chooses to...
When our hearts are broken we don't have to despair or feel condemnation...Why? Because this can actually be a cause for rejoicing ... through our brokenness Jesus will pour His Spirit (if we let Him) to Heal us, Redeem us, and then He will cut up and do great and mighty things that we cannot even fathom... Thank You Jesus for Your Will.
May we all be a people who will humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and allow Him to speak absolute Truth into our hearts! Thank You for Supporting Kairos. Without you guys none of this kind of stuff would even be possible. God Bless you and have a great week!
James K Jones
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