This evening after working late there were fifteen minutes to spare before I needed to pick up one of our daughters.  There is a new coffee shop in town that I have been wanting to check out.  After a busy day I had a hankering for cup of Joe to get me through this evening and felt this was the perfect opportunity to check out this local business.   My days of having a sweet treat are over so now I am delighted  to have my warm cup of this energy giving nectar whenever possible.

The coffee shop has the “cool hipster college kid” vibe that I expected.  The shop was complete with college age young adults congregated around a table with their laptop computers.  My coffee orders are simple, dark coffee with some half and half cream.  The young lady with the snazy purple feather earrings directed me to a table off to the side adorned with the coffee, sugars, and creamer.   The table didn’t quite come up to my waste in height.  I filled my coffee cup nearly full then began opening the small packets of liquid half and half creamer.  Half and half is one of my “cheats” to my detox diet that I follow.  The packets are so small I usually add four of them to make the break in the rules worth it.  As I opened the second packet my fingers slipped on the foil as I peeled it back causing me to lose my grip of the packet.  This caused the fingers of my other hand to squeeze the packet as it jerked toward me partially opened.  It was at this moment I was afraid to look around and afraid to look down at my pants.  With a sigh I looked down and yes the creamer had sprayed all over the table, the crotch of my jeans, and onto the floor.  Quickly I wiped my pants, finished doctoring my coffee, put the lid on the cup, wiped the table then wiped the floor.   My parents taught me to clean up after myself.  Had I left the mess I felt that I should never show my face in this newly found community treasure.  If I had not wiped my pants there would have been an even greater reason to never show my face in this public setting.  Thankfully my back was to the college students.  Whether or not I was on a hidden camera now that is the question as everything is videoed these days.

One of my first thoughts was “Man there is actually a lot of creamer in these tiny packets when it is sprayed onto your clothes!!”  It seems to take a few packets working together to make a tasty difference in my coffee.   Then the thought of our influence on the world started crossing my mind.  A negative mess sure seems to scream so loudly.  It takes several positives to really make an impact for good.  The creamer seems so little when poured into the cup of coffee.  In life we can sure cause a heap of heart ache and trouble when we make bad choices just on our own.    When we surround ourselves with positive influences making good choices together we can make a difference in our world for the better together.  This reminds me of what God intended His church to be.  People unified in Jesus Christ working together to spread His light to this dark messy world.

Our influence… are we making the world messier and darker?  Or are we helping to spread light, love, and truth?

God teaching me yet again through my embarrassing moments.

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Romans 15:5-6 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”