“I’m ready for some fresh seafood!” My husband Tim said when we drove over the Florida state line. Actually, he also said that before we left Tennessee.
We weren’t just going to Florida just for vacation; we were also visiting relatives. Usually, we all go out to eat one evening. Of course, Tim let them know he wanted seafood but, he didn’t specify he wanted a local restaurant. So, our relatives chose a restaurant that was in a chain that we have here in East Tennessee. Needless to say, he was disappointed, but I told him we were still going to have a good time. Actually, we had a rather interesting evening there.
At the restaurant, Tim’s demeanor instantly changed while looking over the menu. “They have all you can eat Shrimp!” Yep, that’s his favorite seafood. Not only did he order it, but so did my stepfather and his son Richie. As for me, I ordered chicken since I don’t like seafood. Well, except for hush puppies. Anyway, Tim quickly ate his first plate of shrimp. Each time he ordered another shrimp dish, so did my stepfather and Richie. I wondered if it was a friendly game of competition between them. When one finished, the other two thought: “He’s already done. Now I have to wolf my down so I can order another one too.” I lost count of how many plates of shrimp the three of them ate. Unless you have a weak stomach; it was truly a sight to behold. Suddenly all that came to a stop when the waitress told them no more shrimp per the manager. The endless shrimp wasn’t so endless after all. To no avail, the three of them complained. In all fairness, I doubt if the restaurant owners realized any customers would be able to put away the shrimp as the three of them had.
Next event was Richie’s attempt to salt his baked potato. As I sat across the table from him, I watched him pick up the salt grinder and shake it over his plate. Nothing came out. He slung it a few times. Again, nothing came out when he shook it. He even turned it up to see if it was clogged. Then he slung it again a couple more times. Are you thinking that I was being mean by not telling him it’s not a shaker? That was not my intent at all. I thought Richie was just clowning around. If he thought he could get a laugh out of doing something, he would do it. So, I thought he was just trying get us to laugh. I began to change my mind when I watched him rear his hand with the grinder backwards. Was he going to throw it across the restaurant? Did I need to duck? Instead, he brought the grinder down against then table as hard as he could. BAM! The echo of the impact bounced off of the walls. The dining room grew quiet as people turned to look in our direction. The waitress came up behind him and said: “Sir, that is a grinder.” Then she proceeded to tell him how to use it. After she walked away, he twisted the grinder and asked: “Did anybody know what this was?” I answered, “I did.” Then he asked me a question that made me feel so guilty: “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:16 (KJV)
My answer: “I thought you were just clowning around,” wasn’t enough. I should’ve told him instead of assuming he was playing around. Actually, we as believers shouldn’t assume people know about Christ. Instead, we need to tell others about Him while there’s still time.
When we finally left that restaurant, I was so relieved. I have often wondered if the manager and staff felt the same after we left. Maybe once the restaurant was closed, they danced on the tables.

Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.