Distracted For the Better
Occasionally I think I’ve changed and I can sit in a coffee shop and work on a writing project or two. And then I give it a try. And realize I haven’t changed. I’m much too nosey and easily distracted to focus on my own tasks at hand. Curiosity overtakes me and I find myself eavesdropping and wanting to join in other’s conversations. Which is not always a bad thing.
Many years ago my husband and I were in a coffee shop on a Saturday morning in Tucson. I’ll make the excuse that the tables were close together, but really I was just eavesdropping. A cute young woman entered the shop and joined a young man sitting next to us. From the body language alone, you could surmise that this was a tense meeting. The conversation progressed, and although his parting words seemed amicable, we soon discovered he had just broken up with her.
It seemed obvious to us that she knew we knew, and we began an awkward dance of determining our next steps. I don’t recall what persuaded us other than the Holy Spirit, but we moved in. We invited her to come and sit with us and she began to share her story. Divinely, we became friends. She came to visit often, took my teenage daughters on afternoon adventures, and became part of our family.
Today I am in a coffee shop in Leesburg called Simply Be: Coffee with a cause – Extending employment and internship opportunities to individuals with special needs. Two friendly staff members greeted me when I walked in. “Hi, I’m J.D., what’s your name?” And Tim quickly chimed in to ask if I saw the Commanders win the football game last night. They politely took my order with a little help from a supervisor and assured me they would start on my items right away.
Once my tea and quiche had been delivered, they waited patiently but excitedly for the next customer to arrive. They introduced themselves to each one, were over the moon when a young couple came in with a toddler who waved hi to them, and carefully entered each order in the system. Several times they asked each other how they were doing, J.D. offering a hug to his friend, Tim, while assuring him, “We’re friends. This is what friends do for each other.” Their supervisor chimed in to let them know what a great team they were, to which they replied with a hearty, “Thank you!”
The shop is artfully decorated with Bible verses and prayer journals on each table. Photos of the staff, proudly wearing their aprons and hats, adorn the few rooms. The young father is meeting with another co-worker and they are talking about marketing. I am tempted to interrupt and ask what their company is and how the marketing is working.
This coffee shop is different from many. Yet, in some ways the same. I have accomplished very little on my to-do list. But I am leaving with a full heart and grateful for the experience of spending a few hours in this amazing space filled with beautiful people.
“What was your name?” asked Tim as I handed them my teapot and plate. “Michele,” I replied. “Oh! I have a friend I used to go to school with and her name is Michele. Thank you for coming today and I hope you come back again.” “I sure will, Tim. It’s so nice to meet you and J.D.” I probably won’t finish what I think I need to accomplish, but I’ll certainly be back. God had important insights for me today and I’m glad I followed His leading to this coffee shop. God’s plans are always better than mine and I don’t want to miss what He has for me.
