Needing a Cup of Comfort

Standing in line at my job's on-site coffee shop, an employee ahead of me was relegated one step backwards by an intruder taking cuts. He saw his error and quickly offered her spot back in line. The barista said it was okay, that she chould start her drink while checking his items out. The employee stood by unruffled as she announced to him, "she knows what I like".

The lights went on and reminded me of all the times when I have stood in line, gotten up early, been on budgets, but still was determnied to get my hands on a steaming cup of something. It isn't the caffeine, or the warmth we are able to derive from a four dollar drink. Rather, it is the purchase and exchange of recognition, a smile, being known by someone, having someone know your likes and dislikes and when it might be okay to surprise you or change things up a bit. It is filling one of our greatest needs in life....being valued. We are missed when we do not stop by the coffee line. We are remembered! We are anticipated!

I have been in coffee shops that know if my schedule has changed because I am an hour later or earlier, or they have my drink ready for me three cars back because they know what I drive. You cannot sell or train for that kind of marketing strategy. It is heart to heart.

Canvas of Clouds

The Week in Startling Contrast

This week I experienced the fringe edge of death, near death and pending death.

Though I did not know any of these people personally, I found a unique life bond with each one. All were sandwiched around my age bracket, all were unexpected, all left families behind, all were theoretically preventable. This and more lended a deeper gravity.

The one that caused me to reflect the most was a thirty-seven year old. After her organs were harvested, I awaited the Medical Examiner's arrival. When we unzipped the body bag to identify her and sign the release paperwork, I was unprepared for the flurry of thoughts that raced. Here are the two most profound:

In life, we identify each other by our face, colour of eyes, hair colour, facial features and their corresponding shapes, te reputation of the person's name. In death, we identify each other by a usually hidden toe, and an attached tag with an impersonal name.

The entire body was shrouded in a vinyl bag. I was struck by the contrast to those temporary vinyl bags we store our clothes in. Death is very much like this vinyl. For those who have never known GOD intimitely, their death is like  being zipped in a body bag, but as believers in our Saviour & Redeemer, our death is more like the temporary garment bag, merely holding our outer garments.

Profound thoughts. Weighty issues. Joyous discovery! Grateful praise!