Will we or won’t we? Get an Olive Garden Restaurant in Greenwood, that is.
Has any rumor ever remained on life support for so long around here? Every time bulldozers start moving some dirt along the Bypass, the hopeful buzz begins again.
“A guy in the waiting room at the doctor’s office says his neighbor’s cousin works at the courthouse, and not only is Olive Garden building a restaurant here, they’re already taking applications online. ”
“Vernelle down at the beauty shop said Olive Garden is definitely coming. One of her customers said it was a done deal.”
I take the bait every time, lured in by thoughts of those warm, buttery breadsticks.
But, doggone it, it seems foundations are always being poured for another payday loan business or fast-food place, because we obviously don’t have enough of those, right?
I feel kind of sorry for big-city people. What do they talk about in waiting rooms and beauty shops in those overpopulated places where they already have at least two of everything?
Their hearts certainly don’t flutter like ours do every time a building shell goes up along a busy road.
Economic development speculation is practically a major-league sport around here. Community officials create secret, double-knot spy names for potential new business ventures, and when they start publicly whispering about “Project Fat Baby” or “Project Albino Rhino,” the guessing game is on.
An industrial plant opening or expanding and bringing new jobs to town is certainly much more important than my personal little carb craving, but maybe one day “Project Breadstick” will make the front page.
Hope springs eternal.
I am reminded of a Bible passage (you knew this was coming, right?) that abounds with similar elements—rumors, speculation, hope—in an infinitely more important context.
The third chapter of 2 Peter reads like it could have been written today as it addresses disbelief and skepticism about God’s ultimate development plan for our planet and its inhabitants—a plan that includes the return of Jesus Christ and the ultimate establishment of a perfect “new heaven and Earth” (Revelation 21:1).
If you can stand a brief, informal, unscholarly, insufficient summary of 2 Peter 3, here you go: “Hey, don’t think that just because Jesus hasn’t returned yet, He’s not coming at all. He most certainly is. God isn’t slow about executing His plan, He is patient.”
If I were God, I might have crumpled up this broken world a long time ago, gotten out a fresh canvas, and started over again. But God didn’t do that. He has patiently endured arrogant mocking, disobedience and rejection, and yet continued to mercifully let the sun rise and set on thousands and thousands of days.
Why? Because He made promises to us concerning His eternal plan and God keeps His promises. Plus, we’re clearly told in Scripture that He is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
If we hope in ourselves, we get what we can do. If we hope in others, we get what they can do. If we hope in God, we get what He can do.
It behooves us to be careful what we hope for … and even more careful who we hope in.
I don’t know if Olive Garden will ever come, but I’d stake my life on the fact that Jesus will.
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”—James 5:7-8