I made my annual pilgrimage to the VA clinic yesterday. Each year it is the same – visit 1 – lab work – a month later, visit 2 – see the Doc. I am fortunate in that regard I suppose that my health has not changed much over the past several years. But I digress. My appointment was for 8:00 am. I checked the web site and saw that the clinic opened at 7:30, it was a 50 minute drive so I planned to arrive about 7:45. I actually arrived earlier just after 7:30. I walked up to the door and imprinted on the door were the words “Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” What ?? I did not dress to stand outside in the cold wind so my only option was to go back to the car and wait and wonder. Wonder why the web site said 7:30 and the door said 8:00 and since the door was locked, apparently 8:00 was the correct time. I tried to suppress bad thoughts about whoever is supposed to keep the web site current. Reminded that our web site was not current either. S’funny how trivial things – prideful things, like “Who are they to inconvenience me!” creep into our thinking and steal our joy.
That is about when I noticed a flashing sign two doors down, “Open – Coffee”. Well, perhaps my day was about to get better. I had been in that shop before – a year before. It is actually a ministry of a local church. All I had was a $100 bill and a credit card. I typically don’t carry that much money, it had been in my wallet for about a month, actually. I didn’t want to pay for a cup of coffee with a $100 bill not did I want to pay for a $2 cup of coffee with a credit card. That is when the man behind the counter asked if I was a veteran. When I said yes he said “The coffee is free for veterans, thank you for your service.” That led to a conversation about my service, particularly about Vietnam – Desert Storm and PTSD. I shared about our ministry – and why I was even in Texas talking to him. Then he shared about their ministry, his and his wife’s. He said that they always imagined that they would go to some distant place to serve but the Lord had kept them right there in Texas City.
That is when I shared the story of the time in Mississippi when someone asked me if I liked being in Mississippi in the middle of a devastation. I answered, “There is nothing better than being in the center of God’s will for your life – fulfilling His purpose. Geography has nothing to do with it. So, yes, I love being in Mississippi.” I told the man that it appeared to me that God was using them both for His glory and the good of the many veterans who entered that shop. Sometimes we wonder if what we do matters – does our sacrifice make a difference for the Kingdom and in the lives of those we serve. And sometimes the Lord uses us to remind others that it does – even though we may not see the fruit of the seeds that we plant through our obedience.
I asked him how their work was funded – he told me that they were volunteers and people donated the money for the free coffee, about $200 a month. That is when the Spirit prompted me, “Give him the money!” So I handed him the $100 bill and said “Use this to help pay for the free coffee.” By far the most expensive cup of coffee I have ever had and, by far, the best cup of coffee I have ever had.
The moral to this story is this – Life – trivial things – can capture your heart and attitude – be on your guard and always be on the look out for spiritual opportunities. You never know when you might have the opportunity to encourage someone in the faith. One closed door might just lead you to a door that is open and a blessing is waiting on the other side. It might even be when you are buying a cup of coffee!
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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