SHHHH, it’s a secret…
While on vacation last month I had the opportunity to enjoy some fresh seafood. Wow! There is nothing like eating fresh seafood, fresh out of the ocean.
While on vacation, we always try to budget in a couple “eat out” nights to enjoy the time of fellowship and of course the great food.
We received a heads up thru a flyer of a locally owned place and it had written on the flyer, “best kept secret on Hilton Head Island” So we thought as a family, let’s go try this place out.
When we pulled up to the parking lot and parked we noticed this long, line circling around the building. We weren’t sure if they were waiting to go in because it wasn’t open yet or maybe there was something else in the same building people were there to be a part of. Turns out, no they were all there waiting in line to get inside the door to enjoy some great food.
I overheard some people standing in line saying “it is well worth the wait” so we decided to stick it out. I mean we were on vacation. We waited for an hour and a half before getting up to the door. There were menus all around the building and you had to know exactly what you wanted before you went in. You walk in the door and go right to the register and order and then they tell you where to sit. The pressure of ordering reminded me of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. No soup for you!
I gotta say though, with all the pressure of ordering and the long line we waited in, it was oh so worth it! Some of the best tasting seafood I have ever had. I got the blackened Shrimp, Tilapia and scallops that were big as a half dollar and almost as thick. Hush puppies and root beer. Yum! Topped it off with some Key Lime Blueberry pie. Yes, I rolled out of there. But oh it was sooooo good.
I got to thinking though about the ad that read, “best kept secret” I realized when we pulled up that it really wasn’t a secret anymore. They said the lines were like that every single night.
Kind of got me thinking about the whole idea of a secret. I have always found it interesting that we label things a “secret”. I mean, is it really a secret anymore if it is being spoken out of someone’s mouth? We say things like, “I want to tell you something but it is a secret.” Really?! Then why do I know about it now?
This can become an addiction of its own if we are not careful. What a high and what excitement to know dirt on someone and no one but you and this one other person knows about it. Hmmm, just doesn’t sound right does it? But that is how we think sometimes and get our self into trouble.
We sometimes can forget that there is another person on the other end of this hurt being talked about.
In essence this other person is your brother, sister, mother or father of someone else and especially God’s beloved child, whom He loves dearly. How would He want us to deal with His child? How would He want someone else to deal with dirt on you?
One of our values we try to uphold in our ministry is that we hold no secrets about each other from each other. When we hear a word of criticism about each other, we will:
Instruct the person to go to the one about whom he or she is critical, to
personally deal with that criticism with the person.
We must tell people who want to tell us a criticism about one of our
leaders or friends in life that we are bound by the promise to report all such criticism.
If it’s a “secret” then it must be a “secret”. Right?
Now I know the “Sea Shack” restaurant probably knew that their restaurant was not in fact the best kept secret in town. The long lines every night they are open prove that point. But it did create a little buzz, at least for me, excitement and lots of curiosity.
I think sometimes when we are presented with “secrets” about someone else we get intrigued and even excited for the juice that is being told to us. Even a little honored that we have been brought in on “the secret” that no one else knew about. Not to burst anyone’s bubble but, chances are though, if you are being told something about someone else and told that you are the only other one that knows about it, because it is “a secret” it may in fact not be the case.
We need to be careful about fueling the fire of such “secrets” and turn them back to the source.
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’ Never admit any charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” 1 Timothy 5:17-20
Kind of interesting that we can find lessons in a plate full of seafood but this day I did. Love how God works sometimes in the most unlikely places.
Rodney Holmstrom, Ministry Leader, Celebrate Recovery Fellowship Bible
If you would like more info on Celebrate Recovery call Rodney @ 479-659-3679 or roholmstrom@fellowshipnwa.org
While on vacation, we always try to budget in a couple “eat out” nights to enjoy the time of fellowship and of course the great food.
We received a heads up thru a flyer of a locally owned place and it had written on the flyer, “best kept secret on Hilton Head Island” So we thought as a family, let’s go try this place out.
When we pulled up to the parking lot and parked we noticed this long, line circling around the building. We weren’t sure if they were waiting to go in because it wasn’t open yet or maybe there was something else in the same building people were there to be a part of. Turns out, no they were all there waiting in line to get inside the door to enjoy some great food.
I overheard some people standing in line saying “it is well worth the wait” so we decided to stick it out. I mean we were on vacation. We waited for an hour and a half before getting up to the door. There were menus all around the building and you had to know exactly what you wanted before you went in. You walk in the door and go right to the register and order and then they tell you where to sit. The pressure of ordering reminded me of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. No soup for you!
I gotta say though, with all the pressure of ordering and the long line we waited in, it was oh so worth it! Some of the best tasting seafood I have ever had. I got the blackened Shrimp, Tilapia and scallops that were big as a half dollar and almost as thick. Hush puppies and root beer. Yum! Topped it off with some Key Lime Blueberry pie. Yes, I rolled out of there. But oh it was sooooo good.
I got to thinking though about the ad that read, “best kept secret” I realized when we pulled up that it really wasn’t a secret anymore. They said the lines were like that every single night.
Kind of got me thinking about the whole idea of a secret. I have always found it interesting that we label things a “secret”. I mean, is it really a secret anymore if it is being spoken out of someone’s mouth? We say things like, “I want to tell you something but it is a secret.” Really?! Then why do I know about it now?
This can become an addiction of its own if we are not careful. What a high and what excitement to know dirt on someone and no one but you and this one other person knows about it. Hmmm, just doesn’t sound right does it? But that is how we think sometimes and get our self into trouble.
We sometimes can forget that there is another person on the other end of this hurt being talked about.
In essence this other person is your brother, sister, mother or father of someone else and especially God’s beloved child, whom He loves dearly. How would He want us to deal with His child? How would He want someone else to deal with dirt on you?
One of our values we try to uphold in our ministry is that we hold no secrets about each other from each other. When we hear a word of criticism about each other, we will:
Instruct the person to go to the one about whom he or she is critical, to
personally deal with that criticism with the person.
We must tell people who want to tell us a criticism about one of our
leaders or friends in life that we are bound by the promise to report all such criticism.
If it’s a “secret” then it must be a “secret”. Right?
Now I know the “Sea Shack” restaurant probably knew that their restaurant was not in fact the best kept secret in town. The long lines every night they are open prove that point. But it did create a little buzz, at least for me, excitement and lots of curiosity.
I think sometimes when we are presented with “secrets” about someone else we get intrigued and even excited for the juice that is being told to us. Even a little honored that we have been brought in on “the secret” that no one else knew about. Not to burst anyone’s bubble but, chances are though, if you are being told something about someone else and told that you are the only other one that knows about it, because it is “a secret” it may in fact not be the case.
We need to be careful about fueling the fire of such “secrets” and turn them back to the source.
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’ Never admit any charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” 1 Timothy 5:17-20
Kind of interesting that we can find lessons in a plate full of seafood but this day I did. Love how God works sometimes in the most unlikely places.
Rodney Holmstrom, Ministry Leader, Celebrate Recovery Fellowship Bible
If you would like more info on Celebrate Recovery call Rodney @ 479-659-3679 or roholmstrom@fellowshipnwa.org
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