<HTML>A Servant's Heart Part Two By  Heartshot Foxley The musteline ran into the tiny store room and sat on a sack of flour, crying.  How disappointed her friends would be to see how the sea otter was acting!  Surely her Saviour was!  Yes, Shelley Otter was a Christian, but what a poor example she was showing to her patrons.  Shelley's father spied his daughter sitting in the storeroom as he returned from taking some trash outside. "What's going on, Shelley?" "I don't want to talk about it now!" "But I need you out on the floor, sweetheart!  I only have two other waitresses out there, and they can't handle the lunch crowd by themselves." "I'll be out there in a minute, Daddy.  I'm just having a bad day, that's all.  We can talk about it later." "Okay.  I know those customers can get pretty demanding at times, but I've trained you how to handle that." "It's okay.  I'm coming out," Shelley said, wiping a tear.  The otter followed her father as he hobbled through the kitchen. "You'll be fine.  Show them you're Pete's daughter!"  The otter man washed his paws at the sink and dried them off with a clean towel. "Mark, is the flounder platter ready?" Shelley asked the assistant cook solemnly. "Yep, just finished it," the cheetah answered cheerfully, handing her the food.  Grabbing a fresh pot of coffee, the musteline turned towards the doors.  Shelley took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped into the dining room.  Inwardly the otter hoped that some of the crowd would have been gone by the time she returned, but to her disappointment, the customers were still there. Taking a deep breath, the waitress spotted the red wolf.  'Show them you're Pete's daughter,' the otter recalled the words of her father.  Keeping her tongue in check, Shelley handed the rufine his food, and filled the empty coffee cup of the other patron.  The otter retrieved the last remaining booster seat and gave it to the grateful ursine woman, whose cubs were beginning to misbehave.  Suddenly, the otter remembered the old pelican who did not have his order taken.  Turning towards the avian, Shelley spied Chelsey merrily taking is order. "Whew!"  The musteline waitress said to herself.  It seemed like everything was following into place now, and after a while, the crowd started to thin.   She saw her friends sitting at a small table, sharing a plate of popcorn shrimp.  The otter spoke to the vulpines for a few minutes respite.  Upon returning to work, Shelley felt someone staring at her.  Turning her head, Shelley met the eyes of a police officer sitting in the corner booth of the diner.  The police officer, a grey and white seagull, sat with a plateful of fishbones and was finishing his iced tea.  Curious, the sea otter walked up to the gull. "Can I help you?" "I've been watching you for quite some time, young lady.  That was quite a show you put on while ago." "Yes Sir," the musteline waitress replied shamefully.  Shelley lowered her eyes to the floor, and saw the seagull's yellow feet underneath the table. "Is there anything I can get you?" "Mmmmmmm," the seagull said thoughtfully.  "You can get me another iced tea, and then I'd like to talk to you for a minute if you have the time." Shelley looked at the officer again.  She noted how the octagon hat sat smartly on his white feathered head, and how the shiney police badge shone proudly on the regal grey plummage.  Turning her head for a quick glance, Shelley noticed that the diner was nearly empty.  Feeling a lump forming in the back of her throat, the otter knew that she would have to deal with this customer.  Chelsey Redtail was at the other end of the diner serving the elderly pelican, and the other waitress was nowhere to be seen. "Okay," Shelley answered unwillingly.  "Coming right up." After Shelley returned with the cold beverage, the otter slowly began to sit down in front of the seagull. "You may stand if you wish.  I know you still have some work to do.  I won't keep you long." "Certainly Sir," Shelley said, lowering her eyes once again. "My name is Captain Webster.  I'm the police captain here in Nag's Head.   What is your name?" "Shelley Otter." "Do you know what my main job is, besides enforcing the law here, Shelley?" "A public servant?"  The otter slowly asked, her heart suddenly pierced with conviction of her intolerance towards her customers. "That's right!  My job is to serve the public.  Much like your job.  But my job is not restricted in only one place, like yours.  My job is everywhere.   If I see someone who needs help, I help them.  If I see an elderly lady getting ready to cross the street, I help her.  If I see a man stranded with his car on the side of the road, I help him.  If I'm called to chase down a bank robber, I do it.  If a child ask me to help her or him to get their kitty out of a tree, I help them." Shelley stood in front of the booth with her hands clasped behind her back.   The otter thought about her encounters today.  The gull continued in his lecture. "Are you a Christian?" Shelley nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Do you remember what Jesus did to His disciples right after the last supper?  He washed their feet!  The Bible says in St. John 13:12-15... "So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Jesus, the Creator of the universe, had left his heavenly home to live the example of how we should do unto others.  We are to serve one another.  Did you know that in order to be great, we have to be a servant first?" Shelley shook her head, totally engrossed in the words of the seagull. "St. Matthew 24:45 says... "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?" and St. Matthew 20:27 states... "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:" So, even though most folks don't like the idea of being a servant, you should remember what our Saviour said.  Servanthood with a grateful heart is an example of Christ-likeness.  Show the world you are a Christian.  Remember the words of our Lord in Colossians 3:23-24... "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." Shelley thought about the lunch rush.  Oh how she had caused grief to her Saviour!  Here, the Shepherd had given her an example, and had been obedient even to the cross, laying down His life for her!  And this naughty lamb had rebelled in selfishness! "Thank you for your help," the musteline whispered as she started to turn away. "Remember what Jesus said about servitude.  Jesus also said in St. Matthew 25:40... "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Shelley, knowing she needed to talk with the Shepherd, turned to the police captain once more. "I'm glad you came in here today, Captain Webster.  At first I was mad at you when you started talking about being a servant, but then after hearing what I needed to do makes me glad that I met you today.  Thank you." "You're welcome, Shelley.  I'm here for you and for the rest of the citizens of Nag's Head.  Have a great day in the Lord!"  The musteline watched the avian as he rose from his booth and headed for the door. Copyright (c) 2001 by Kimberly M. Edwards All rights reserved Heartshot Foxley =^.^=</HTML>