Still eating out back

You can be welcomed at a table and still spend every meal trying to earn your seat there. I remember hearing a story of a man who would eat the scraps from the dumpster out behind a restaurant. He had the schedule down, knowing which night the kitchen would throw out the scraps early and when to come back after the last car pulled out of the parking lot. He even knew which end of the dumpster was the best one to start on to find the best scraps. One evening, the owner of the restaurant came out the back door and took the man by the arm. He walked him around front and sat him down at the table with a cloth on it. There was hot food, a clean plate, and a meal that was already paid for. The owner said, “I will feed you a meal every single day from now on. It’s all me. Come in and enjoy a good hot meal.” kAm%96 >2? H2D D@ 8C2E67F=[ 3FE E96 H9@=6 E:>6 96 <6AE 8=2?4:?8 @FE 2E E96 324< 5@@C] w6 D2:5[ “%92?< J@F[ 3FE 42? x DE:== <66A 86EE:?8 E96 D4C2AD @FE @7 E96 5F>ADE6Cn”k^Am kAmw6 H2D >:DD:?8 E96 A@:?E] %96 @H?6C H2D ECJ:?8 E@ AC@G:56 7@C 9:> :? 2 ?6H H2J H96C6 96 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ <66A D42G6?8:?8 7@C 7@@5 7C@> 2 5F>ADE6C] qFE E96 AC@G:D:@? 492?865 2 =@E 72DE6C E92? E96 >2?’D 3C2:? 5:5] w6’5 3F:=E 2? 6?E:C6 =:76 @FE @7 2 DJDE6> E92E H@C<65[ 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 2 DJDE6> E92E H@C63@5J @776CD J@F D@>6E9:?8 36EE6C] %96 72>:=:2C 42? 766= D276C E92? 86?6C@D:EJ H96? J@F 92G6?’E =62C?65 E@ ECFDE E96 @?6 H9@’D 5@:?8 E96 8:G:?8]k^Am kAm%9:D :D 9@H H6 @7E6? C6=2E6 E@ v@5] x’> D2J:?8 “H6]” x’> ?@E ;FDE A@:?E:?8 E96 7:?86C 2E J@F] |2?J @7 FD 5@?’E DE2?5 2C@F?5 5@F3E:?8 H96E96C H6’C6 7@C8:G6?] (6 36=:6G6 H6’C6 7@C8:G6? 2?5 8@:?8 E@ 962G6?[ 3FE H6 ;FDE <66A =:G:?8 @FE 324<[ =@@<:?8 7@C D4C2AD] %96C6’D D@>6E9:?8 :? FD E92E DE:== 766=D =:<6 H6 92G6 E@ 62C? @FC D62E 2E E96 E23=6] ~C H6 42?’E 6G6? :>28:?6 D:EE:?8 2E E96 E23=6[ D@ H6 ;FDE D6EE=6 7@C D4C2AD]k^Am kAm!2F= HC@E6 D@>6E9:?8 E@ E96 tA96D:2?D E92E x H2?E J@F E@ E2<6 :? E@52Ji “x? 9:> H6 92G6 C656>AE:@? E9C@F89 9:D 3=@@5[ E96 7@C8:G6?6DD @7 D:?D[ :? 244@C52?46 H:E9 E96 C:496D @7 v@5’D 8C246]” WtA96D:2?D `ifX |2<6 DFC6 E@ 42E49 E9@D6 7:CDE EH@ H@C5D] x? 9:>]k^Am kAm!2F= FD6D E92E A9C2D6 “:? 9:>” @G6C 2?5 @G6C E9C@F89@FE 9:D =6EE6CD[ 2?5 :E’D ?@E 2 766=:?8[ 2 >@@5[ @C 2 A6C7@C>2?46 C6G:6H] xE’D 2? 255C6DD] xE :D H96C6 J@F =:G6 ?@H :7 J@F 2C6 2 36=:6G6C :? y6DFD r9C:DE] x7 J@F’G6 ECFDE65 r9C:DE[ E96? y6DFD r9C:DE =:G6D :? J@F[ 2?5 J@F ?@H =:G6 “:? 9:>]”k^Am kAm%96 BF6DE:@? :D ?@E H96E96C J@F’C6 2==@H65 :?D:56] %96 BF6DE:@? :D H96E96C J@F H:== 24EF2==J D:E 5@H? :? w:> — :? r9C:DE] “q642FD6 J@F 2C6 9:D D@?D[ v@5 D6?E E96 $A:C:E @7 9:D $@? :?E@ @FC 962CED[ E96 $A:C:E H9@ 42==D @FE[ ‘p332[ u2E96C]’ $@ J@F 2C6 ?@ =@?86C 2 D=2G6[ 3FE v@5’D 49:=5j 2?5 D:?46 J@F 2C6 9:D 49:=5[ v@5 92D >256 J@F 2=D@ 2? 96:C]” Wv2=2E:2?D cie\fXk^Am kAm%96C6’D 2 C62= 5:776C6?46 36EH66? E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A @7 2? 6>A=@J66 2?5 2 49:=5] p? 6>A=@J66 D6CG6D F?56C?62E9 2 4@?EC24E 2?5 5@6D E96:C 36DE E@ =:G6 FA E@ E96 4@?EC24E 2?5 >2J 36 G6CJ E6>AE65 E@ 9:56 2?J >:DE2<6D E96J >256 3642FD6 E96J 4@F=5 36 2 E9C62E E@ E96 2CC2?86>6?E] u@C 2 49:=5[ E96 2CC2?86>6?E :D ?6G6C FA 7@C C6G:6H] r9:=5C6? >2<6 >:DE2<6D[ 3FE E96J’C6 ?@E :? 2 4@?EC24E] %96J 36=@?8[ 2D 49:=5C6?[ E@ 2 >@> 2?5 2 525] %96C6’D >62?E E@ 36 2 =6G6= @7 D276EJ 2?5 D64FC:EJ 6G6? H96? J@F 3=@H :E] }@H[ D2J:?8 E92E[ x :>28:?6 D@>6 @7 J@F 5:5 ?@E 766= E92E H2J 8C@H:?8 FA 2?5 A6C92AD 6?565 FA =:G:?8 F?56C 2 4@?EC24E[ @C 2E =62DE 766=:?8 E92E J@F 5:5[ D42C65 E@ 3=@H :E]k^Am kAm~FC 962G6?=J u2E96C 5@6D ?@E 92?5=6 FD =:<6 6>A=@J66D] %96 8@@5 ?6HD :D H6 5@ ?@E 92G6 E@ 2=H2JD 36 2?I:@FD[ ECJ:?8 E@ >2?286 @FC 2CC2?86>6?E H:E9 v@5] y6DFD r9C:DE 4@>A=6E6=J D6EE=65 E92E 2E E96 4C@DD] y6DFD E@=5 2 DE@CJ 23@FE 2 3@J H9@ EC:65 6I24E=J E92E] w6’5 E2<6? 9:D 72E96C’D :?96C:E2?46[ CF? E9C@F89 6G6CJ 5@==2C @7 :E[ 2?5 96 42>6 324< FA E92E C@25 H:E9 2 DA6649 H@C<65 @FE :? 9:D 9625] w6’5 6G6? D6EE=65 @? E96 ;@3 E:E=6 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 2D< 7@C] “x 2> ?@ =@?86C H@CE9J E@ 36 42==65 J@FC D@?j >2<6 >6 =:<6 @?6 @7 J@FC 9:C65 D6CG2?ED]” W{F<6 `di`hXk^Am kAmw6 ?6G6C 8@E E@ 7:?:D9 :E] “qFE H9:=6 96 H2D DE:== 2 =@?8 H2J @77[ 9:D 72E96C D2H 9:> 2?5 H2D 7:==65 H:E9 4@>A2DD:@? 7@C 9:>j 96 C2? E@ 9:D D@?[ E9C6H 9:D 2C>D 2C@F?5 9:> 2?5 <:DD65 9:>]” W{F<6 `dia_Xk^Am kAm%96 3@J 42>6 9@>6 2D<:?8 7@C 2 ;@3] w:D 72E96C 42==65 7@C 2 C@36[ 2 C:?8[ D2?52=D[ 2?5 2 42=7[ 2?5 E96? E9C6H E96 H9@=6 4@F?EJ 2 5:??6C] %96 D@?’D >2E9 H2D A6C764E=J C62D@?23=6[ 2?5 9:D 72E96C H@F=5?’E D:E DE:== =@?8 6?@F89 E@ 962C :E[ 3642FD6 E96 >2? H2D?’E ?68@E:2E:?8 2 A@D:E:@?] w6 H2D 86EE:?8 9:D 3@J 324< E@ E96 E23=6]k^Am kAm*@F H6C6?’E 9:C65] *@F H6C6 3C@F89E 9@>6]k^Am kAm%96C6’D 2 A=246 D6E[ 2?5 J@FC ?2>6 :D @? :E] *@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ DE62= J@FC DFAA6C H96? E96C6’D 2 492:C 2E J@FC u2E96C’D E23=6]k^Am kAmp?5 E92E’D E96 (@C5]k^Am