From My Porch to Yours
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Seeing the Heart of Leway Market
By AmyEl-Rai Brown
As I sit here on my porch today, listening to the gentle chirp of the birds and watching the squirrels play, running up and down the trees in my front yard, I am reminded that we can find the beauty of God in every single aspect of life if we just take the time to look. Sometimes, that beauty is found in nature. Other times, it is found in the unexpected people God brings into our community.
Lately, my thoughts have been resting on my many interactions with Mr. Chuc Le, the owner of the new Leway Market here in Coffeeville. I wish you could see Mr. Le the way I have come to know him.
Throughout my life, I have talked with many businesspeople, but I have never run across one quite like Mr. Chuc. He is a remarkably strong businessman with a sharp vision for this new market. But when he talks about Leway Market, his vision doesn’t come across as a way to make him money, or a way to build him up as an affluent person with so-called “pull,” connections, or power. Instead, he comes across as a man who saw a way he could help a town that was, and is, in need. He doesn’t focus on his bottom line, or what this town “owes” him for providing us with a grocery store. Instead, he talks about what this store can mean to the people who live here.
Mr. Chuc is a humble man who truly believes that real change comes through love and teamwork. His approach reminds me so much of Philippians 2:3-4:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
I have seen him work from the heart. He sees value and potential in people that few others take the time to notice or nurture. In my own talks with him, I have found so much value in seeing how he looks to assist Coffeeville in its growth.
Yet, I know how the world works. There are many who will try to tear him down or belittle his efforts here. Sometimes, people talk off what they think they see or know, carrying only a small, distorted part of the story.
To those skeptics, I want to offer a different perspective. Where you might see greed from the outside, I see a man trying to build up others.
Where you might see a man who isn’t originally from this area, I see a friend in the making, chosen for his integrity and his genuine love for people.
Scripture warns us about the danger of quick, surface-level judgments. In John 7:24, Jesus tells us:
“Stop judging by mere appearances but instead judge correctly.”
Sometimes, it is so much better not to say a word. It is better to sit back, observe, and learn the truth about a person’s character before assuming the worst. When we silence the gossip, we give room for God’s truth to show itself.
My prayer for Coffeeville is that we will open up our hearts. Let us welcome this business and this management team with open arms. If we allow them to grow, they can help us grow, too—not just as a town, but as individuals discover new ways to lift ourselves up and change our lives for the better.
The view from my porch looks bright when I think about what teamwork and love can achieve. Let’s build that future together.
