I Thank God For Coffee Shops
There I sat, in the back of the coffee shop. In a reclining chair by the couches with a large window looking out into the small town street. You can see a ridge of mountains in the distance, although they are probably hills if you measure how tall they are. The sky is overcast with the remnants of yesterdays storms moving out. Tomorrow, the temptation of snow. It looks like it may, you can feel the air growing colder with a gentle breeze.
Inside it’s warm and the lights are dimmed. I have a cup of coffee beside me. The barista said the notes were “roasted nut, chocolaty, and velvety.” She looked about 12, I’m not sure I trust her coffee palette. But it did taste good.
For some reason back rooms of coffee shops always help me. When I feel stressed or confused. When I feel anxious or scared. For whatever reason, the back room of a coffee shop is a retreat. A calm place to simply be. No one expects anything of me. I can pray. I can write. I can read. I can listen to music. I can look outside the window and watch the world.
It calms me. It reminds me God is near: In this strange in between of not feeling alone and not feeling bothered, I’m around people but not with them. Everything slows down for a little bit.
I wonder if this is what the mountain was like for Jesus, when He would get away from the pressure of ministry and the daily demands. Sometimes He’d spend all night up on those mountains. Just being with His father. Praying. Reflecting. Slowing down.
Just as Jesus says “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) I believe the mountains were made for man, and so were the coffee shops. Jesus’ point in saying that was the Pharisees had missed the entire point of the sabbath. Rest.
Do you have your place of rest? A small place to slow down for a period in the week? Maybe it’s a book, or a walk, or a drive with your favorite music. Maybe it’s a cup of coffee and silence for a few minutes in the morning, or tea at night before bed under the orange glow of your lamp. Just as God gave Jesus the mountains to refresh, God gives us spaces to find renewal. Where is yours?
I thank God for coffee shops.