Roxie When I moved home twelve and a half years ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into! God is so funny that way, isn't he? I moved home to run my Dad's new retail shop not planning on staying long, and having zero business experience. Here I am, all these years later, now owning that business with my husband, who is now mayor of this little town we call home! I could write a novel on my experiences of learning the art of business in a small town, dealing with small town politics, and the struggles of drowning in bills--all while trying to maintain a 100 year old bank building that is always in need of tender loving care! Maybe one day I will write that novel but today I want to tell a different story. Rather than focusing on all the gory details of my trials by fire, I want to tell you my story of learning to use my retail business to be the hands and feet of Jesus in my community.
I would like to tell you that I learned the afore mentioned lesson quickly, but I am afraid it has taken me quite a long time. As a Christian, I have struggled with the worldly side of my business for years. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I was born with a creative spirit that desires to make the world a more beautiful place, one well planned party and beautiful home at a time! I know that these talents come from God, as he is the Great Creator. What I have struggled with from time to time is that this job that I love so much is only providing people with worldly possessions that they do not need. Couldn't their money be better spent building wells or feeding hungry children in third world countries? This idea nagged at me for years before I really started to see the ways God was working to use us in a bigger way, for His glory.
I attended my first Catalyst conference in Atlanta in 2012. This was an experience that would get my wheels turning, and help set me on a path that I am still forging. The theme that year was “Make”, and it seemed like the two day experience was tailor “made” for me!
I would like to tell you that I learned the afore mentioned lesson quickly, but I am afraid it has taken me quite a long time. As a Christian, I have struggled with the worldly side of my business for years. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I was born with a creative spirit that desires to make the world a more beautiful place, one well planned party and beautiful home at a time! I know that these talents come from God, as he is the Great Creator. What I have struggled with from time to time is that this job that I love so much is only providing people with worldly possessions that they do not need. Couldn't their money be better spent building wells or feeding hungry children in third world countries? This idea nagged at me for years before I really started to see the ways God was working to use us in a bigger way, for His glory.
I attended my first Catalyst conference in Atlanta in 2012. This was an experience that would get my wheels turning, and help set me on a path that I am still forging. The theme that year was “Make”, and it seemed like the two day experience was tailor “made” for me!
I have never enjoyed such powerful worship and been immersed in thoughts of such knowledgeable speakers. As a part of the experience, there was a “Makers Market” set up outside the conference center. It featured several businesses that employed and empowered people who needed help, all while providing the world with a beautiful and meaningful finished product. I was completely inspired by the ways these companies were using their retail business to help others, and still keep in touch with two of them today.
The Giving Keys, which we have worked with and sold here in the store, and Lamon Luther, a company right here in Georgia that I am determined to work with in the near future! Both of these companies are working to fight homelessness by providing jobs and hope for their future. I hope you'll click the links and read more about these two great companies that helped pave the way in encouraging consumers to purchase with purpose.
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You are about to see a pattern here, as the next pivotal moment in my retail missions journey happened at Catalyst 2014. The theme for the event was “Change Makers”. I listened to Andy Stanley ask the question: “Who are you, and what breaks your heart?” I thought to myself, “I am Roxie Crain Seale, owner of The Shoppes at Fourth and Cherry, and Donald breaks my heart”. This is Donald.
Let me just tell you quickly how Donald has changed my heart and has helped me to start shaping a ministry out of my retail business. Donald roams the streets of our little town, all day, every day. He is physically handicapped as the result of a terrible car accident he was involved in when he was young and he struggles with addiction. He is not homeless and he does have a little money. His Father was a preacher so he is very familiar with what the Bible teaches and spouts off scripture and bible stories to those that he meets. Most everyone in town knows him and knows that he is harmless. Some folks ignore him, some offer him rides to where he is going, and some feed him. Not many take the time to talk to him and show him love, including me. I am terribly guilty of hoping he would just walk on by and not come in my place of business and disrupt my guests. Donald and I had a rocky start on our path to friendship. He came in drunk, used very foul language towards my guests and team members, sent his food back to the kitchen, spilled his drink and proceeded to try to light a cigarette in our non-smoking facility. Matt (my husband) had to help me get him to leave as he could not be reasoned with. In those days, Donald was very dirty, smelled of urine and alcohol and was in terrible need of a haircut and shave. In a nutshell, we hated to see him coming. I am ashamed to even admit that to you, but I promise the story gets better!
After I realized that Donald broke my heart, I returned home with a new outlook on our relationship. As uncomfortable as it made me, I made a real effort to look Donald in the eyes and talk to him like he was a human being. I did discuss with him that we would be glad to feed him, but behavior like he exhibited in our first encounter was not acceptable. We had a good talk that day. He was not drunk at the time and found it very hard to believe that he had acted that way. He ate lunch that day and behaved like a perfect (but still very dirty) angel. Donald began coming by almost every day, and can you believe I thought about telling him that he could only come in twice a week? What a stupid thing to do, limit the amount of times per week that we could show Donald the Love of God! At this point, I will skip some of the details of our story and get right to the important parts.
Over the course of the next year, Donald began coming in clean shaven, with cut hair, and his clothes were clean. He was so excited to be greeted by all of the smiling faces at The Shoppes and to have a good lunch. This became possibly his most pleasant experience of each day. I am proud to say that my team embraced Donald as I had decided to do, all of them being kind and helpful, taking the time to ask him how his day was going. We all bragged on him as much as we could; how good he looked with his hair cut and how we had noticed such a great change in him. I specifically told Donald that I was so proud that he seemed to be drinking less and that I thought he looked really good. He told me that he had quit a lot of that bad “stuff” he was doing.
Fast forward to the present, Donald is still cleaned up. He uses his best manners when he comes to The Shoppes. He doesn’t come for lunch as much but he comes every morning before we open to get a cup of coffee. Everyone that works here knows how he takes his coffee and what he likes to eat. I think he likes coming so much because he knows when he walks in the door he will get a big “Hey Donald” from everyone that works here. He cannot remember our names so he refers to all of us as “Squirrel”. I am not going to tell you that he has quit drinking or is by any means on the path to complete rehabilitation, but he is happier and it shows all over his face. I have recently gotten the chance to meet the barber that has been shaving him and cutting his hair. I was able to tell him thank you and how much it means to all of us. There is a lady cleaning his house, doing his laundry and buying his groceries. I have never met her and Donald doesn’t know her last name. Tara and I suspect she is an angel.
After going through this amazing experience with Donald, I realized that God had been building a work in my business and I had not opened my eyes to realize it. My heart had already been broken through the years for my customers. My widows and widowers, my divorcees, my parents who had lost children… daily we were faced with people who needed to experience the love of Jesus. I realized that we were not just selling these folks a sandwich, or a lamp, or a new piece of jewelry. We were given the opportunity to LOVE them. It finally dawned on me that my place of business was a place of hope and refuge to so many. I knew that I must be more intentional in reaching out to those who were hurting, and celebrating with those experiencing victories while encouraging and befriending the lonely.
I have so much to say on this topic that I’ve split it into two blog posts. I hope you will check back and read Part Two of this story because I can’t wait to tell you how you can help with our mission and get involved!
After I realized that Donald broke my heart, I returned home with a new outlook on our relationship. As uncomfortable as it made me, I made a real effort to look Donald in the eyes and talk to him like he was a human being. I did discuss with him that we would be glad to feed him, but behavior like he exhibited in our first encounter was not acceptable. We had a good talk that day. He was not drunk at the time and found it very hard to believe that he had acted that way. He ate lunch that day and behaved like a perfect (but still very dirty) angel. Donald began coming by almost every day, and can you believe I thought about telling him that he could only come in twice a week? What a stupid thing to do, limit the amount of times per week that we could show Donald the Love of God! At this point, I will skip some of the details of our story and get right to the important parts.
Over the course of the next year, Donald began coming in clean shaven, with cut hair, and his clothes were clean. He was so excited to be greeted by all of the smiling faces at The Shoppes and to have a good lunch. This became possibly his most pleasant experience of each day. I am proud to say that my team embraced Donald as I had decided to do, all of them being kind and helpful, taking the time to ask him how his day was going. We all bragged on him as much as we could; how good he looked with his hair cut and how we had noticed such a great change in him. I specifically told Donald that I was so proud that he seemed to be drinking less and that I thought he looked really good. He told me that he had quit a lot of that bad “stuff” he was doing.
Fast forward to the present, Donald is still cleaned up. He uses his best manners when he comes to The Shoppes. He doesn’t come for lunch as much but he comes every morning before we open to get a cup of coffee. Everyone that works here knows how he takes his coffee and what he likes to eat. I think he likes coming so much because he knows when he walks in the door he will get a big “Hey Donald” from everyone that works here. He cannot remember our names so he refers to all of us as “Squirrel”. I am not going to tell you that he has quit drinking or is by any means on the path to complete rehabilitation, but he is happier and it shows all over his face. I have recently gotten the chance to meet the barber that has been shaving him and cutting his hair. I was able to tell him thank you and how much it means to all of us. There is a lady cleaning his house, doing his laundry and buying his groceries. I have never met her and Donald doesn’t know her last name. Tara and I suspect she is an angel.
After going through this amazing experience with Donald, I realized that God had been building a work in my business and I had not opened my eyes to realize it. My heart had already been broken through the years for my customers. My widows and widowers, my divorcees, my parents who had lost children… daily we were faced with people who needed to experience the love of Jesus. I realized that we were not just selling these folks a sandwich, or a lamp, or a new piece of jewelry. We were given the opportunity to LOVE them. It finally dawned on me that my place of business was a place of hope and refuge to so many. I knew that I must be more intentional in reaching out to those who were hurting, and celebrating with those experiencing victories while encouraging and befriending the lonely.
I have so much to say on this topic that I’ve split it into two blog posts. I hope you will check back and read Part Two of this story because I can’t wait to tell you how you can help with our mission and get involved!
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