When my daughter and I first moved to our little home on 40 acres, we had no clue what to expect. Driving into town, we found a restaurant that looked welcoming. It was in the quaint part of downtown and it just looked comforting. That restaurant was instrumental in getting us through the ‘not knowing’ phase of our new adventure.

Sunday’s was our favorite day to go. My daughter was in Nashville for the weekend, so I went in alone yesterday morning. They have a fabulous breakfast that is served all day on Sunday and the place was packed!

One of my favorite waitresses stopped by my booth to say hello. Actually, she was saying ‘goodbye’ because this was their last day open. I knew they had hired a new manager and had recently cut back their hours of operation. This is not good. We drive 20 minutes to enjoy this place, only to find them closed after 3:00 pm. I know people drive a lot farther than us to enjoy the food and warming atmosphere.

This makes me feel sad and mad at the same time. It was the one place in Elgin where you could sit down and have a lovely meal. It was a great landmark for meeting up with friends not familiar with the town. One of my favorite preacher’s always says, “Don’t give up! You’re closer than you think!” I believe Maxine’s was very close to being a successful establishment. They were already successful in my mind.

This is a prime example of a small town swallowing up someone’s dream. God plants you where you are for a reason. When we first started going here they changed their hours to be open more. A year later, they back down to being open less. Big mistake. People rely on consistency. For them to trust you there can be no wavering. Stand firmly where you are planted and grow!

I’m sure the clientele in this little town was tough. There was a man yesterday whining about his waffle being cold and he had no utensils. Why was he worried about not having a fork if it was too cold to eat? Somebody needed to give that man a life. The place was busier than I’d ever seen it. If I had chosen that day as my closing day, I would have had to rethink it. God was saying something in full force on closing day.

So, farewell Maxine’s! I’m sorry you quit. You were closer than you think.