By the time I got to my morning, my cup was overflowing. My story is not unique. Observation suggests that we are inundated with images, sounds, and information. Demands are coming in from every direction. There does not seem to be enough time, sufficient energy, or available resources to accomplish everything needed for what one thinks needs to be delivered. In an overwhelming world, my reserves were running on empty.
I arrived at my usual café with a simple question waiting for me. “Would you like a double macchiato?”
The response to my “yes” was more than a cup of coffee. The coffee came in the form of a tangible gift with expressions of kindness, care, and hope. It meant more to me than anyone realised. It was personal. It was tangible. It changed the way I look at the day which was just beginning. As I enjoyed the quietness and the cup, life’s whispers reminded me of the following.
One’s response to another often takes on more meaning than either party imagines. What was an act of courtesy and service by one, was received by me as an expression of community and hope. The nuances of care spoke to engagement and conviction. The artistry in the presentation, even as familiar as this with creative baristas, was a nice touch. The timing, though random in many ways, was a near-perfect response to where I was emotionally and physically.
Combining actions with words takes what feels empty to being tangibly real. As I run on empty, Paul reminds me of Divinity’s actions; “God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition and entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.” (Romans 8.3)
Life comes with surprising gifts. With my actions, each is a step towards something better.
