Get in line

Ha! Today's task is to buy the person behind you a drink in the coffee shop - brilliant! I love this one! It will totally freak people out!

I would love to work in a coffee shop, to be a barista (possibly a disappointment to family members who had hoped I would have a similar sounding but potentially much more lucrative job), the smell of the coffee and the muffins / pastries, to be amongst people who are relaxing, chatting, working, pausing. I live everything about the coffee shop culture. Even the barista apron. Heaven!

So to buy a coffee for someone is always a pleasure - in fact my wife sometimes will say, after my suggestion of coffee: 'but we've already done that today!' (She does have a point - it could become a very expensive habit).

Buying a coffee for myself and family, friends or work colleagues is an almost daily occurrence for me, buying for complete strangers is another matter. Who is next in line? 

I guess that this is not just about generosity but about connecting, I also think that this is not about a random act of kindness or generosity but the intentional focus on someone other than myself. I use coffee shops because I, like many others, enjoy the experience. Others use them because they are a refuge from work, a place that will accommodate them for the duration of their need, that will allow five child buggies around a small table. They create community, for an hour, for a moment. 

The next in line will receive their coffee, they may receive a conversation (they are bound to ask why!). I think that I will receive much more than they will.

(Also, I will send a coffee to the first person that tells me which coffee shop this image was taken in)

A Day Off? But I don't want a day off!

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that today is a #40acts day off! Apparently if you really fast for Lent then you don't observe the Sunday Fast, so fair enough #40acts you're being orthodox and that's fine with me. It does give me some moments to reflect of course: on this week, on my relationship with Christ on so many things.

Yesterday was about connecting with people, really connecting, on a personal level. If was also the day of my birthday celebration with my family. Plenty of opportunity to connect: the girls that work in the Climbzone, the people that were climbing with me, the waiting staff at the restaurant, the person that served me in a shop. What a day! I did try to connect personally with all of these people, we had conversations and I learned one or two names, there were smiles - the Climbzone girls looked as if it was the first time anyone had thanked them personally!

The best connection, however, was with Derek, the barista in Costa. While preparing a large order for me and my family we got into conversation (note to self: if you want to really connect with coffee shop staff order 7 coffees - they can't go anywhere and you won't go anywhere!). Enquiries about whether today was good were met positively, his colleague chipped in hers was a good day too, another colleague joined the conversation. We talked not of the weather but of the activities they were involved in today. I tried to hear what was going on in their lives. I tried not to talk about myself (a fault I know I can be guilty of). Did we have deep theological discussion? Was I able to take these folk forward in their faith? No. Were there three people who looked and sounded affirmed because they were recognised as people rather than service providers? I believe so! Was there one person who had discovered the joy of connecting? Definitely ! There may have been others as well!

(Incidentally, thanks to my wife for a fantastic day!)