Conversations at Caribou

I'm big on coffee shops. I love to take my laptop, my to-do list, and just work through all of the administrative stuff that comes with being a Director of Youth and Children's ministry. It's nice to get a jolt from coffee and plow through Council Reports, newsletter articles, blogs (can you guess where I was when I wrote this?) e-mails, and prepping for studies and other programs. I also find it a relaxing place to study. Reading at home or reading in the office, I often find myself getting distracted by the 1000 other things I could be doing. When I'm alone at a coffee shop those distractions disappear. But my favorite thing about coffee shops is the conversations. Each Wednesday afternoon we have a High School Bible study at Caribou on Bluemound Road. While our numbers may be small, we have wonderful conversation about a wide array of topics that come out of our study of the Bible. Yesterday we discussed Jesus' temptation, the beginning of his ministry, and the call of the first disciples. The highlight, though, was a young man that had overheard our conversation and came to us and told us how much he appreciated hearing us study the Bible. I've had other conversations at Caribou this week, meeting with a few members of Calvary to discuss life, ministry, the presence of God in our lives. It's a great place to  talk. And it's great to talk.

After our Bible study ended yesterday afternoon I lingered for a bit, taking in the atmosphere of a busy store. I counted around 14 conversations happening. It looked like some students were studying calculus. One table had a woman with four children discussing the Christian faith. In Japanese. There were animated conversations, reserved conversations, and even one guy talking to himself. He had a bluetooth headset on, so I assume he was talking on the phone. But who knows. And then I looked back at my Bible, and I thought to myself, 'if Jesus were here, what would we chat about?' That got me thinking: what would Jesus drink at a coffee shop? I assume he would either drink fair-trade coffee or a green tea, but that's just my take. I imagine our conversation to be warm, that Jesus would look at me, and greet me and ask me how I am. And he would mean it. I imagine being comfortable enough that I would be willing to pour my heart out. All of my struggles, my worries, my disappointments, as well as my joys and triumphs. After sitting in my chair for awhile, I wondered why I don't treat prayer like this. I know that it's so much easier to see a face and a response, but Jesus, regardless of whether I can see him or not, is there. He heard me as I sat alone and yet surrounded by so many conversations. He heard my struggles, and my joys. He heard the inmost thoughts of my hearts, and, as I packed up my stuff and left, I felt relieved. What a great reminder to know that, as the song says, 'what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!'