I never outgrew fast food, but it’s possible I’ve taken my obsession a bit too far. You see, I’ve actually spent time learning the ordering systems of fast food restaurants. You could accurately say I’m a pro at knowing what I can and can’t order at the different franchises. So when I recently went through the drive-thru of one of my favorite places and ordered my burger just the way I wanted it, I had the opportunity to stretch a young lady’s view of life and living.

I placed the order, carefully adding and subtracting everything I wanted on the sandwich to ensure the burger was perfect for my sophisticated food palate. Suddenly, there was a long pause. I thought perhaps the speaker was dead, but a moment later the young lady came back on and told me I couldn’t special order my burger.

Imagine my shock. I knew my system (and my commercials) and believed beyond a shadow of a doubt the restaurant could not only place the order, but deliver the burger exactly to my specifications. After all, I’d done so many times before, and at that location. In a very polite way (for many kids, fast food is their first job so I give them a lot of grace), I asked her why I couldn’t get my burger prepared the way I wanted. Her response was a first—and though I’d never heard it before, I think it’s indicative of how most people limit their lives.

She said, “I don’t have a button on my computer for that.”

“You Don’t Need A Button” 

I refrained from laughing out loud. I also realized I was being handed a teaching moment that, if the young lady would be patient with me, would reveal the future was much bigger and offered more opportunities than she could ever imagine. In my most encouraging voice, I told her she didn’t need a button for my order, and I had absolute confidence she could ring up my meal and make sure the other staff made my burger just the way I’d asked. I assured her this was not new territory, and if the hundreds of people who’d taken my order this way before could dov it successfully without a specific button, she could, too. Guess what? She did … and the burger was delicious.

The sad truth is, the young lady’s view of what she could or couldn’t accomplish is the way most people view life. They’ve trained themselves to look for the button someone else has programmed for them, thinking it’s the only way to achieve their dreams. They’ve bought into the lie; they’re not creative enough to do what they desire, so when the button isn’t found, they assume there’s simply no way for them to do it. It’s simply not true, God has created you as His masterpiece in His image, and He is the creator of all things.

Next Steps: 

Take time today and ask Him to help you realize the creativity He has placed within you for your area of expertise.

 (Taken from my book Life Palette, Chapter 7, Creativity)