An amazing story was shared on Facebook a few years ago by Joey Karen Mustain about an act of kindness he and his daughter witnessed in a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Tennessee. As soon as he shared it, it immediately went viral. It’s easy to see why.
The restaurant went out of their way to help out a weary homeless traveler who came into the establishment, broke, humbled, and very hungry.
The account of what happened is best told in Mustain’s own words:
“I took Stella to Chick-fil-A today. It’s our normal daddy/daughter spot. It’s clean, so good, and the playground has a tractor beam on her the moment she sees it. When we finished eating and she’d worked up her dessert appetite playing with the other kids, we went back to trade in her toy for ice cream. She wanted to sit at a table to eat the cone (something we usually do in the truck), and I’m so glad she did,” Mustain said in the post.
What happened next was incredibly inspiring.
“We took a booth right next to the spot where you wait for your drink to be “refreshed,” and we had a front row seat to this beautiful scene: a homeless traveler had walked in and asked if they had any extra food. Mud was wet and caked on his well-traveled shoes. His hair was matted, and his beard wasn’t a statement as much as it was a necessity and a sign that he doesn’t get to shave as often as most of us do. People near him kept their distance, but that didn’t stop him from being kind”
We all know someone who has fallen on hard times at some point or another.
Everything can be going smoothly in life, and then one day you are hit with a curveball that completely changes everything. It can happen to any of us, and at any moment. That is why it is always so important to have compassion for those who are less fortunate, as you never know when in the future, you might find yourself in a similar situation.
“He spoke to people who reluctantly spoke back, and he smiled while he waited on a manager. All I could pick up on of the conversation was the manager saying that he’d love to give him a full, warm meal–not just scraps or extras–, and the only thing he required was that the man let him pray with him.”
Tennessee is still a very religious state.
The only thing the manager of the Chick-fil-A wanted was to pray for the man, and so he put his arm on his shoulder and did just that.
” I heard love in that prayer. The homeless man wasn’t some untouchable stain on business. He was the reason that store opened its doors this morning (or any morning).”
Mustain and Stella looked on in amazement.
He decided to use it as a teaching moment for his daughter about being kind to others and living by certain principles.
” I love teaching my daughter life lessons, and I also love being there to watch other Christians teach her life lessons. “
Whether you are Christian, atheist, or any other religion, we can all agree it is a very heartwarming story.
While many people look on at homeless people with disgust, the manager of the Chick-fil-A not only allowed the tired traveler into his business but went way out of his way to help. He shared his love with the man, and in return inspired several others to do the same.
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