I sit here in a coffee shop and chuckle to myself.  I have the very infrequent gift of having some time to kill.  So my genius thought is to sit down and capture to paper some of those thoughts that have been bouncing around my brain lately.  I have stories, prayers, and ideas and while I see them in my mind they have remained elusive to my typing fingers.  I have typed, erased, typed, erased, typed, erased to the point where I’m now just sitting here chuckling to myself.

Isn’t it typical of me (and maybe some of you) to try to force an agenda into a moment, or even a chapter of life, that was not designed to have a man-made agenda?  Sometimes I just need to shush the talkative chatter in my brain and instead listen for a gentle whisper.

One of the things I tried doing a few minutes ago was praying—but that felt forced too.  However, maybe God was trying to have me focus outside of myself and elsewhere.

Dear Lord, thank you for this day.  Thank you for the people here in this coffee shop.  Some are working hard, some are passing through, and some are spending time here.  Lord, thank you for these people.  They are all reflections of you in different ways.  They are all your children and you love each of them to a point that I cannot possibly fathom.  Lord, please open my eyes and heart to view them as you do. 

Lord, the woman over there talking with a couple of others—I recognize her as someone from school.  I can’t think of which kid(s) belong to her, but I recognize her.  Lord, please give her peace and rest and strength today.  Lord, please fill her with an overwhelming confidence in your purpose for her life.  Open doors for her and pave the way.  Give her an obedient mindset to what you are calling her to do.  Lead her gently to those plans, but give her passion in the purpose.  Let her be a light to those around her so that it is obvious that your hand rests on her life.  Lord, thank you for this woman and her life.

Lord, the man to my right on his own computer.  Lord, please richly bless him.  Provide for his needs in a way that can only point to you because it comes together in such a miraculous way.  Lord, please open his eyes to see your hand has been on his life for many years even if he has not recognized it.  Lord, please direct him to intentional conversations today where your name can be glorified.

 Lord, the group at the table in front of me.  Lord, please direct their conversation to be productive.  Lord, please let their planning go smoothly and their project executed efficiently.  Lord, I don’t know what they are working on, but you do.  And not everything has to have the word “church” or “ministry” or your name associated with it in order to be led by you.  Lord, please show up in a big way to this group today.

 Lord, the barista.  Lord, thank you for her life.  Lord, please bless her today as she works hard in a service role.  Please give her exactly enough energy she needs to face the day and its challenges.  Lord, please keep her safe and protect her heart.  Lord, please reveal to her the impact she is making and the importance of her life.  Lord, please open her eyes to your great love for her.

 Lord, thank you for redirecting my steps sometimes.  I may think I know what a day holds for me, but I should not cling to my plans or ideas.  Thank you for the reminder that sometimes I just need to stop looking down at my own to do list and instead look up and see what else you have for me.  I love you, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

 My time is up and I must get on with my day.  Farewell coffee shop!  I hope that you are a safe haven to many others today.