A woman was minding her own business, but she was interrupted while eating her breakfast at a Waffle House in Panama City Beach, Florida. The diner’s manager shouted an announcement, and all of the employees responded in a surprising fashion, not worrying about who they might offend.
Paige Price was on vacation with her family in Panama City Beach. As she was quietly enjoying her meal at the local Waffle House, the manager of the eatery told the employees that it was time for a shift change. It’s an event that apparently doesn’t take place at this particular location without prayer.
All of the employees stopped what they were doing and gathered together. Some held hands, while others removed their hats, and they prayed together in a soft whisper. “We were sat down and were just eating,” Paige told WJHG. “I heard the manager say something about shift change or something. And I looked over and I saw them gathering around in a circle holding hands.”
We live in a world where people are perpetually offended by acts of Christianity, so Paige couldn’t believe the unabashed display of faith in a public place, prompting her to take a photo. When the prayer came to a close, the participants dispersed and went about their individual business. It was clear that prayer was a common practice at this Waffle House, and each employee was unashamed of doing it in front of patrons.
Moved by their actions, Paige posted the photo on Facebook explaining her thoughts and feelings about what she witnessed. “Some of u may think I’m weird for this and that’s ok,” Paige said in the post. “Yes, I snapped a picture of the waffle house workers.”
“I looked over and noticed all of the workers gathering around each other, in a circle, some holding hands, and some taking their hats off,” Paige continued. “I’m pretty sure I had a very weird look on my face because I had to ask myself a few times if this was real, if they were really about to pray before each of them went their separate ways, if they were really about to PRAY and not care who they offended.”
At first, it sounded as though Paige was potentially bothered by the prayer, but she went on to explain how impressed she was by the bold display of faith. “Why am I posting this?” she continued. “The world that I’ve grown up in for 23 years is changing fast and to see this just made my heart smile. Maybe there’s hope for our country after all. I applaud these people for standing up for what they believe in and not worrying about offending others or what others may think/say about them.”
Paige said she’s received countless messages that thanked her for sharing the post. She also received messages from people who said they thought her post would cost the employees their jobs. But, so far, that hasn’t happened. A member of Waffle House’s corporate team said they don’t encourage nor do they discourage employees from praying, and they were glad to hear that Paige enjoyed her visit.
“This picture shows how the world is supposed to be,” Paige told FOX 5. If Christians keep their faith and practices to themselves, then not only do the naysayers win when they claim these acts are offensive, but we’re not spreading the good news of God’s word.
“That’s mainly why I took the picture and shared it because of all the crazy stuff that’s going on in the world right now,” Paige said. “I mean you know, most people are afraid or scared to do it in public, so it was kind of like I guess the perfect moment to take a picture.”
Bravo to this bold manager who operates that Waffle House by honoring God and blessing the employees. She is a great leader in her small corner of this country and an excellent example to her employees. If you are offended by prayer, you might want to avoid this restaurant, but I’ll be sure to visit if I ever get the chance.