ACCA

Another Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

May 18, 2010… This was a date placed on the ACCA school calendar months earlier – the last Chick-fil-A “spirit night” of the year. Lots of schools do this sort of thing – a percentage of the profits goes to the school – good for business – good for the school. Everybody wins.

But that Spirit night was different. My little girl was in a hospital room – still unable to sit or speak. Barely a month removed from our accident – the community was still reeling. A student named Kelsey asked the school board if they would donate the proceeds from the Chick-fil-A spirit night to our family. A small school event turned into a community-wide gathering as the Chick-fil-A operator hosted two locations (instead of the usual one) and both restaurants were packed for the night. It was a cool story. I wrote about it here.

Tuesday was ACCA’s first Chick-fil-A spirit night of the year. I couldn’t help but think of the contrasts. Anne was with us –  sitting, eating, talking…conversing with people. She asked to see the “cow.” She asked for ice cream. She was with us. I knew WAY more people there than last time. I had relationships with so many families – because of Anne’s journey.

I’m thankful for this road God has led us down. So many heartaches – but they fade to memory in light of the many triumphs. We are so thankful. So. very. thankful.

Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

Tonight, Anne’s school had a scheduled “spirit night” at the local Chick-fil-A. It’s a way to raise money as 10% of the revenues from the evening go to the school.

Well, most of you know that ACCA decided to donate all of the proceeds to Anne – which is a major sacrifice! On the surface, this just seems like a bunch of nice people doing something nice for a local family (for which we are very thankful, by-the-way :-). But I see much more… I see a slice of God’s kingdom on earth, and I LOVE IT!

God’s kingdom is filled with paradox. Check this out…

-When the Chick-fil-A operator caught wind of Anne’s story, he offered two locations with extended hours and also included drive-through. His response to the possibility of large numbers of people: “We’ll be ready.” That’s humble strength and joyful service…

-The leadership of ACCA gladly donated their spirit night for our family. We’ve only been in this school one year. It seems foolish for the school to sacrifice so much for our little family, but “God chooses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.”

-This whole idea came from an ACCA student: a girl that the world would think of as insignificant. She’s not powerful, wealthy or famous. Kelsey’s just a girl with a LARGE heart. God multiplied her idea into a community EVENT – which is a witness of what the body of Christ should look like: a unified body that loves sacrificially and joyfully.

-Lastly, and the most paradoxical of all to me – is the little girl that has caused this kind of unity. Anne is a shy little girl that has a hard time looking people in the eye, much less speaking to them. And now, with her brain injury, she is truly: “the least of these…” How can this awkward and shy little girl make such an impact? “God chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

I had the honor of going to Chick-fil-A to see this picture of God’s kingdom. What I saw was Jesus. Humility, Compassion, Joy, Self-Sacrifice, Love – these are the characteristics of our precious Saviour – who personified the paradoxical nature of God’s Kingdom on earth… Isaiah 11:6 talks about this mystery…

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”

I’m thankful to see a little child lead us into prayer and dependence upon God as never before…. -kathryn