I used to be a barista. For nine months, I whipped out perfect lattes, scrubbed floors, washed dishes, and, being in Spokane, shoveled my fair share of snow off the patio. Hard as it may be to believe, though, I didn't choose to be a barista for any of these reasons. I donned the ubiquitous green apron of the corporate giant because of an interest in people: what makes them tick, what gets them excited about life, and what gnaws at that empty space deep in their being. (As a side note, no stronger argument can be made for original sin than working an 8-hour drive-through shift, dealing with caffeine addicts moments before they get their habitual fix!)
This blog, though, isn't about Starbucks. I'm sure that the lessons that I learned while on shift will invariably seep into my future writings here. No, I think of my barista days simply because I write this first post at one of the many Starbucks dotting the local landscape. But this isn't a normal coffee shop, and this isn't a normal day. In less than two hours, I will go before the Session of First Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne, WY to be confirmed in my position of Youth Director. It's been a process getting here. Two and a half months, phone and formal interviews, and weeks of anxious waiting have brought me here. To this Starbucks. The very coffee shop that lies on the convenient 8-block walk/bike ride from new home to my office. The 'Bucks where I will invariably spend good portions of my workweek and my budget taking youth out to coffee for one-on-ones. The coffee shop that, in some small way, will remind me of my past experiences and the wisdom learned therein.
I don't know where this ministry is going, but I'm excited to have you along for the ride! As I prepare to officially start this next phase of ministry (now in under an hour!), I am joyful that we serve a God who goes before us and hems us in afterwards.
'Til We Meet Again,
Lee
