A Not-so-secret Secret

A Not-So-Secret Secret

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

We do a lot of marriage seminars around the country, which means we often fly into a city on Friday evening and fly home on Saturday after the seminar ends. Because we’ve been doing this for quite a few years, we’ve come to know most major airports pretty well. We know where we’re going to eat, for example, on a layover in Denver or Chicago. We know where we can get some good pasta in Orlando or a deli sandwich at Reagan National.

But if we fly in to California, we almost never eat in the airport. Nope. We save our appetites for a little fast-food chain that is typically open late at night: In-N-Out Burger.

If you’ve eaten at an In-N-Out, you know it’s nothing fancy. Far from it. Just a clean place, with quality burgers, thick shakes, and real fries—and always tasty. This regional chain was started in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder. According to the company’s website, the Snyders had a simple plan that is still in use today: “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” It wasn’t until the 1970s that they began to expand. The chain had eighteen restaurants when Harry died in 1976. Today the chain has about 250 restaurants, mostly in California.

The menu is simple. They have the usual French fries and milkshakes, plus three burgers: hamburger, cheeseburger, and “Double-Double” (double meat/double cheese). That’s it . . . unless you know the secret. Customers in the know often order by name items that are not on the menu but available at every In-N-Out. The “secret menu” includes items like the “3 x 3” or a burger or fries “animal style.”

But there’s another subtle secret for In-N-Out Burger customers. Harry and Esther placed a Scripture reference on everything they sold—and the company still does that to this day. Somewhere on the wrapper of every burger is Revelation 3:20: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” On every beverage you’ll find John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” We say “subtle” because the references are very small. But almost everyone knows they’re there.

It was just one couple’s way of getting God’s Word into their customers’ hands, literally. But like the “secret” 3 x 3 burger, they’re not really keeping God’s Word a secret, either. Hide it under a bushel? No. Not Harry and Esther Snyder.

Take a moment to consider how you and your spouse can be a shining light together through your shared lives.

Let God’s promises shine.

—Corrie ten Boom