I was late. There was work waiting, words crying to be laid out on paper, and I needed a coffee. When I came to the kitchen, the staff were cleaning the coffee machines. A look of desperation was painted on my face and body.
“Is there any chance of getting a cup of coffee?”
One look, a gentle pause, then “Yes, there is.”
She went behind the counter and asked, “Black or white, one shot or two, with or without sugar?”
My double espresso, no milk, no sugar, was a perfect answer to my question. I reflected on the cup as I worked, it occurred to me that Life was offering multiple gifts to start my day.
Knowing one does not deserve what has been given increased my awareness of how special the gift was. I was late, there was no way I could suggest otherwise. The hours were clear. I understood that I was asking for something out of the norm. In the gentle response, without reference to the hours, or even that it was more work, I was gifted with a smile and more. My heart was touched in a way that still lingers.
Contributing to the result does not mean that you will be recognised. I was so caught up with the espresso that I forgot to ask her for her name. Yes, I did thank her. In hindsight, I could have done better. I could have given her a recognisable voice. One writer stepped forward; “I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.” (Romans 16.22). Acknowledging the person behind the gift is a way of giving thanks, one heart to another.
Each gift is an invitation. I experienced the joy of someone going out of their way to serve. Outside of my thankfulness, there was no immediate reward. As I hear the invitation to serve others, I realise that it is the act of serving that is the reward. Everything afterward, expressions of heartfelt emotions are reminders of what kindness and care leave in their wake.
