Route 66 - Pt 6

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (Psalm 96:1-6 ESV).

About fifty miles west of Amarillo and the Cadillac Ranch, we come to one of the more interesting geographical points along Route 66. It is MidPoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. As the name of the café suggests, Adrian, Texas is the midpoint of Route 66. The MidPoint Cafe was built during the early days of Route 66 (late 30s, early 40s) by Jennie Van der Wort. It is one of the route’s most famed places to eat, is at the “geo-mathematical” halfway point in Route 66’s long ride between Chicago and Los Angeles, both of which are 1,139 miles away. The marker post for the midpoint is just west of the big sign on the north side of the highway across from the Mid-Point Cafe. The Cafe happily proclaims themselves as “The Home of the Ugly Pie Crusts.” Initially called “Zella’s” after the original owner, it was simply a one-room cafe with a packed dirt floor. After changing hands and names over the years, it was sold in 1991, with plans to open an antique store. Plans changed. By 1995 the owner realized the cafe was ideally located and changed the cafe’s name to “MidPoint Cafe and Gift Shop,” changing direction yet again to replicate the cafe in the ’50s and ’60s. Great bakers have always worked at the cafe, turning out pies “just like Grandma used to make.” Using a recipe handed down as the “best pie crust ever”, one pie baker could NOT seem to make her crusts as beautifully shaped as she remembered her grandmother doing; they were misshapen, lumpy, and just plain ugly, but just as tasty. The name stuck. It’s strange how easily we deny the truth proclaimed in the Scripture. The MidPoint Café reminded me of that truth. The exterior of this building is certainly not an architectural classic. In fact, there are those who would say it is much like the nickname given to its pie crust, “ugly.” However, the truth is that beauty is always found in the eyes of the one looking. The Scripture teaches us that all of God’s creation is seen through His eyes as beautiful. By simple progression, that means we are also beautiful. By all means, declare the differences which lead to our personal preferences. Just as some geographical locations are not preferred by some, they are cherished by others. Just as some people are not as appreciated as others, God declares that he loves “the world” (cf. John 3:16). His value is based on his unlimited knowledge and incredible creative power. We are beautiful; and, we are loved!