Christian Living

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Larry Lilly’s Letter Monday April 3, 2006

The other day while having lunch with a friend I went through yet another experience of thoughtlessness on the part of a person, in this case a missionary who meant well. The poor soul supposed that leaving an apparent $20 bill for a gratuity just barely peaking out from the ticket would thrill the waitress beyond measure and as she hurriedly placed it in her apron pocket to further evaluate her blessed good fortune at a more convenient time, all the while with visions of new shoes for the three old.

Imagine the single mothers wonder and pure joy when she discovered that the ‘tip’ was not that at all, but joy of joys, a gospel tract!! That this happened is due to a faux pas on my part. As a rule I never, and I mean never permit a preacher in my town, even one who is trying to ‘work’ me for some sort of meeting to leave the gratuity. I know that people associate you with those with whom they see you. In most cases our church is well enough known for about everyone in town to know me. Now this one little waitress for the rest of her days will associate our fine church with the word JERK. And according to the public relations folks she will in time share this opinion with at least 250 people.

Please get me right, I love creativity in outreach. Getting the name of Jesus before people is essential if you expect to touch lives with the grace of God. But I insist that the package be of such a nature that the ribbon itself does not turn the person off.

I was reminded the other day of a Public Relations coup years ago pulled off in a gentle, even humorous way by Max Schling of New York City. On this occasion Max ran an ad in the New York Times. There really is nothing new about a New York business running an ad in the Times. However, Max was more than a little devious. He hit the devious ball out of the park with this ad and everyone loved it. The ad that Max ran was in shorthand, every word of it. Very few people knew what it said and many businessmen, who had access to a secretary, due to peaked curiosity asked the secretary; ‘what does this say in regular English?’ The ad, when translated was addressed to secretaries and read:

“When getting flowers for the boss’s wife remember SCHLING’S FLORIST.”

As to ‘tipping’ the waitress if I cannot afford to express gratitude to a person who serves me at far below the minimum wage, I will eat at Micky D’s or a peanut butter creation at home. I eat so much peanut butter The Great Blonde is now calling me Skippy.

A good practice for the gratuity thing, which brings honor to Christ and at least good PR with the server is to create a little note expressing your thankfulness and the truth that your gratuity may not solve all of the financial needs of the server, but that it is given in sincerity. Insert the tip into this little note along with a copy of Ford Porter’s tract, “God’s Simple Plan Of Salvation” explaining that Christ will always do more than is expected.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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