Wednesday, July 24, 2013

"GOOD"byes are always hard

Today marks the conclusion of a chapter in my life as I finish my career at Chick-fil-A and move on to an opportunity that God is calling me towards.  When you are in a GOOD place, with GOOD people, doing GOOD things for God, "GOOD"byes are very difficult....and they should be.  I wanted to share with you, -er, my better half wanted me to share with you the letter I sent to my colleagues as I leave today.


23 July 2013
Dear Chick-fil-A Family and Friends,
I’ve heard it said that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.  I planned on retiring here at Chick-fil-A.  I planned on accomplishing many specific things while here at Chick-fil-A.  However, God had other ideas.  Chandler, Davis, Jackson, Tori, Carter and I know that God is in this next step in our journey.  However, my family and I also are sad to say goodbye to so many wonderful people.  Social Media and other forms of 21st Century communication will allow us to stay “in touch” but it won’t be the same.  There won’t be the cups of coffee or tea in breakroom.  There won’t be the college football jeering and jesting in the fall.  There won’t be the prayer groups and book studies.  So my family and I have to mourn the loss of that, but we also celebrate that God is moving in our life.  I also celebrate what God has done in you and through you during my family’s time here.  I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts.
·         Gratitude
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“ -1 Thess 5:18
I am eternally grateful for all the relationships formed over the past 13+ years.  It’s because of those relationships that I began to open up and share struggles in life (Galatians 6:2).  It’s because of relationships that I learned that our Heavenly Father wants a relationship with all of us through His son Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9).  It’s because of relationships that I began to share my faith, go on mission trips, and now am called out to go make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) elsewhere.  It’s because of relationships that I learned how to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend and a better employee at Chick-fil-A (Proverbs 27:17) .   I’ve also learned that gratitude is an action word, not a state of being.  I have to choose to be grateful.  No matter the circumstances, God calls us all to be grateful as everything comes from Him anyways.  I encourage all of you to practice gratitude daily.  If you’re like me, you may have to “fake it til you make it”.  I had to when I first came to Christ in 2007.  I’ve given you a copy of the most beautiful and profound quote about gratitude I’ve ever read.  I came across it in my devotional Bible in 2008 and have kept it with me ever since.  I pray that you are encouraged and strengthened as much as I am through this quote. 
·         Encouragement
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thess 5:11
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” –Hebrews 3:13
I have been encouraged by all of you over the years.  Whether it was to keep going on my weight loss journey,  keep training for the marathon,  keep the course in my walk with the Lord, or just a random compliment in the café, so many of you have been such an encouragement to me.  I pray that I was able to return encouragement to you as well.  I remember early in my career Jimmy Collins (retired Chick-fil-A president) telling the staff, “You know how you can tell if someone needs encouragement?  If they are breathing.”  I pray you keep up an encouraging environment here.  Remember, if someone’s name pops into your mind or your heart, it could be God prompting you to go encourage them.  I can’t tell you what it’s meant to me when I get a random compliment from someone in the hall or in the café.  God works through your smiles and your kind words. 
·         Humility
Humility is not humiliation.  Humility is not saying “I can’t”.  Humility is saying confidently, “I can do that, but only with the help of God”.  Humility comes from having a posture towards God that acknowledges He is sovereign, He is Creator and He is in charge.  Humility results in forgiveness, gratitude, generosity and kindness.  Having a humble spirit has helped me recognize that if it weren’t for God, I wouldn’t be here.  I started in 2000 with quite a bit of pride and learned how to be humble.  I learned how to be a servant here, but it wasn’t until I truly humbled myself to God.  We have the ultimate example of humility in Jesus.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!
 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.    –Philippians 2:1-11

·         Genuine/Authenticity
“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;  love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” –Romans 12:9-10
My final point is that I hope I am remembered as being Genuine and Authentic.  I encourage you to be just that towards each other.  I had a conversation last week where I said, “Don’t underestimate the power of having cups of coffee with each other”.  I learned what being genuine and authentic really means here.  I have yet to regret sharing what’s really going on in my life with someone and being genuine.  Growing a small company successfully, in my opinion, involves being authentic with each other. 

I know God has big plans for Chick-fil-A.  Please know that I will continue to pray for you and thank God for you (1 Thess 1:2).   I know some of us will continue our relationship, while for others this is where the road ends on this side of eternity.  I will continue to press on, as Paul says, and look forward to seeing you on that Great Day.   My family and I are sad about saying goodbye.  This was a VERY difficult decision for us.  However, I rejoice knowing that God is working in our lives and in your lives, too.  God has big plans not only for Chick-fil-A, but also for YOU and your family. 
My final words to you come from the book of Numbers, and know that I earnestly pray these words over all of you. 
“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.” –Numbers 6:24-26

Until we meet again, be abundantly blessed!

Karl D. Riddett






Gratitude
We learn the magical lesson that making the most of what we have turns it into more.
Say thank you, until you mean it.
Thank God for everyone and everything sent your way. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations into important and beneficial lessons. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Gratitude makes things right.
Gratitude turns negative energy into positive energy. There is no situation or circumstance so small or large that it is not susceptible to gratitude’s power. We can start with who we are and what we have today, apply gratitude, then let it works its magic.
Say thank you, until you mean it. If you say it long enough, you will believe it.
-Melody Beattie

Today, I will shine the transforming light of gratitude on all the circumstances of my life.

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