The Christian fast food chain Chick-fil-A has always been known for its charitable efforts. Thus, when diners of its Murfreesboro, Tennessee branch saw its manager praying with a homeless man, their hearts were touched.
A customer named Joey Mustain took his daughter Stella to Chick-fil-A for their regular daddy and daughter date. After playing with the other kids, Stella asked for some ice cream.
"She wanted to sit at a table to eat the cone (something we usually do in the truck), and I'm so glad she did. We took a booth right next to the spot where you wait for your drink to be 'refreshed,' and we had a front row seat to this beautiful scene: a homeless traveler had walked in and asked if they had any extra food," he writes on his Facebook page.
"Mud was wet and caked on his well-traveled shoes. His hair was matted, and his beard wasn't a statement as much as it was a necessity and a sign that he doesn't get to shave as often as most of us do. People near him kept their distance, but that didn't stop him from being kind," adds Mustain.
He heard the manager offer him "a full, warm meal" in exchange for sharing a prayer, and the homeless man agreed. Without hesitation, the manager laid his hand on the homeless man and began to pray.
"I heard love in that prayer," says Mustain. "The homeless man wasn't some untouchable stain on business. He was the reason that store opened its doors this morning (or any morning). I asked Stella to watch and she stared. She asked what was happening and when I told her, she bowed her head, too. I realised then and there that Chick-fil-A doesn't simply do business for profits, they truly use business to minister."
Mustain is so inspired that companies such as Chick-fil-A still exist, and that they "unwaveringly cling to their principles and purpose" during a time when other companies are trying to win over the market by "neutralising any possibility of offence."
