I have since learned that the sales achieved in six days, at the average Chick-fil-A, far exceed what most of its competitors average in seven days.
Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, and I would never meet, but his sacrificial decision to value his faith and worship ahead of profits has been an inspiration to me. His witness of the priorities in his life has impacted millions of people who have driven past his closed restaurants. He touched more people by that one decision than many pastors will reach in a lifetime.
I have to admit that I have given much thought over the years as to how I might replicate Cathy’s model within the hotel business. I concluded that it would be difficult to ask guests to vacate their hotel rooms for the day in order for me to follow his lead. Having said that, his example has challenged me to think of other ways I could express my faith as a part of my business.
Cathy died recently at the age of 93. It's tempting to describe him as another rags-to-riches American financial success story. But if that's all we remember, we'll miss the most important lesson he tried to teach us: that the more difficult our obedience, the greater the reward.
I don't know how much Truett Cathy's decision to close Chick-fil-A on Sundays cost his company's bottom line, but I do know that his sacrificial commitment to honor God touched me and countless others.
What difficult decision is God asking you to make?
Hospitably,
Fred Cerrone
