Over a Cup of Coffee

The scene at Starbucks can best be described as eclectic. You know, a little of this and a little of that. That's how it ought to be, given the music that plays over the loudspeakers in this place. Let's walk across the room together.

Here's a local pastor meeting with a young man. They talk about life, the Lord, and a sundry list of other things. This is a good place to meet for that. The coffee shop is a central location and, if the young man is not particularly involved in church, it's a neutral site. Some folks just won't come to the pastor's office. I rarely come here when I don't see a Christian man or woman mentoring a younger person.

Here's a student working on an assignment for the first week of college. Fingers flying on the keyboard. Head down. And earphones in. What? Earphones in while working on an assignment. Starbucks is not the library! But anyone 40 or younger has little or no problem concentrating while their senses are also engaged in two or three or more other things. I'm too old for that. I want people to sit quietly and calmly and look at me when I teach or preach. But the truth is that younger people can be fully engaged with more than I can. We come from different technological worlds. The video games of my day was Atari Pong. That's about it. A place far, far away from what kids grow up with today.

Here's a couple of businessmen talking over a presentation to be presented this afternoon. The free internet allows them to pulls files from their company's network servers. They edit and improve them to make the most impact later today. I try to use the technology to do the same. I can sit here (trying to block out the room noise!) and work on next week's sermons and Bible studies. Being online makes this much easier. Although I didn't grow up with lots of technology, I've adapted rather well to it.

Here's a mom and daughter catching up on the back-to-school stuff with the grandkids. One shows pictures on her phone to the other. They laugh and carry on like nothing else matters. And nothing else does. At least for the moment. You need times like this. Work pushes family to the background and that can be dangerous. Men and women alike have responsibilities outside the home but the home must come first. Take a little time to celebrate those things that really matter. Your greater responsibility is to the Lord and then your family. Sometimes a cup of coffee helps put that in perspective.

And then there's me. Watching all the others. People are interesting, aren't we? I can't tell you what's playing on the speakers but my foot was tapping as I thought about what to type next. I'm using this coffee shop to maximize some downtime between appointments today. Just came from the hospital after checking on a church member who had an outpatient procedure this morning. I have a meeting at noon. Instead of driving 20 minutes back to the office and then 20 minutes back to town, I just parked it here for a couple of hours. And I got a little done, too.

And I enjoyed a cup of Starbucks.