I have a thing for Starbucks. (Or have you not noticed?) And as an advertising major, I always stayed comfortable with the reason for that affinity being its excellent advertising. It must be.
And I still do think it kind of totally is. I mean it did completely change coffee culture in America. To not only get people to like the drink in the cup, but be proud for holding that cup in their hand, and creating this habit of staying in the store. It became not only a coffee shop, but a living room, an office space, a hang out. And that's what all brands around the world spend millions and millions of dollars each year trying to achieve. To mean something and be able to express it in words and images and share this idea to the people. And then the hardest part? Be so real that they believe it.
And hey, Starbucks did it. It means something more than caffeine and it has become so interlaced with my own life that I'll drop +$4 on one cup and post a pic on Instagram for the 90th time.
For me, Starbucks is the place where Jesus and I meet and have our best conversations. Lessons learned, healing found, truths exposed. Some small, some big. Both always mattered.
And today, I'm pretending I'm at Starbucks. I'm sitting at my kitchen table -- something I rarely do because my roommate and I are barbarians who like to eat our meals on the couch with feet up and tv on.
But right now I'm sitting here. Headphones plugged in, a cup of coffee in hand, and the Word opened in front of me.
Why? Like I said. This post is not about Starbucks. Not at its core anyway.
It's about Jesus. And how important it is to be taking care of that relationship with him.
In Italy, it's been hard to find that intimacy with Jesus. I stayed in bathrooms, laid in bed, and I told myself it didn't matter the location of my quiet time. Which is entirely true, because one more reason why our God is so great is that he is with us at all times. But the flip side of that same coin is that since we are conditional and physical people, the location of the quiet time CAN matter... If the room is noisy, our ears will listen for people's voices rather than the Lord's. If our bellies are empty or eyelids are heavy, our limited concentration will take us towards dreams of food and sleep, not his Kingdom. Because I am a very conditional and limited person, because I am human, I can't turn my worrisome and anxious heart off with the flip of a switch.
Even though God is with us at all times and we can squeeze in prayers on our walks to school or on the train, He is also our King and not only deserves, but COMMANDS our full attention. And sometimes we can't reach so deep on the train or in the supermarket. Jesus went to the mountain to have his intimate moments — maybe your mountain top is a private room, getting on your knees, prepping with a worship song, lights turned off. Whatever it is, coming back to the heart of worship is absolutely needed.
For me, dates with Jesus at Starbucks worked for us. And today, I woke up and my soul was CRAVING a date with him. And so as silly and stupid as I felt, I put myself in a position where I knew my eyes and ears and heart and mind would be at His fullest attention. So it's not about Starbucks, it's about finding a way to give Him your fullest and undivided attention.
A cup of coffee is just a plus. (;
And I still do think it kind of totally is. I mean it did completely change coffee culture in America. To not only get people to like the drink in the cup, but be proud for holding that cup in their hand, and creating this habit of staying in the store. It became not only a coffee shop, but a living room, an office space, a hang out. And that's what all brands around the world spend millions and millions of dollars each year trying to achieve. To mean something and be able to express it in words and images and share this idea to the people. And then the hardest part? Be so real that they believe it.
And hey, Starbucks did it. It means something more than caffeine and it has become so interlaced with my own life that I'll drop +$4 on one cup and post a pic on Instagram for the 90th time.
For me, Starbucks is the place where Jesus and I meet and have our best conversations. Lessons learned, healing found, truths exposed. Some small, some big. Both always mattered.
And today, I'm pretending I'm at Starbucks. I'm sitting at my kitchen table -- something I rarely do because my roommate and I are barbarians who like to eat our meals on the couch with feet up and tv on.
But right now I'm sitting here. Headphones plugged in, a cup of coffee in hand, and the Word opened in front of me.
Why? Like I said. This post is not about Starbucks. Not at its core anyway.
It's about Jesus. And how important it is to be taking care of that relationship with him.
In Italy, it's been hard to find that intimacy with Jesus. I stayed in bathrooms, laid in bed, and I told myself it didn't matter the location of my quiet time. Which is entirely true, because one more reason why our God is so great is that he is with us at all times. But the flip side of that same coin is that since we are conditional and physical people, the location of the quiet time CAN matter... If the room is noisy, our ears will listen for people's voices rather than the Lord's. If our bellies are empty or eyelids are heavy, our limited concentration will take us towards dreams of food and sleep, not his Kingdom. Because I am a very conditional and limited person, because I am human, I can't turn my worrisome and anxious heart off with the flip of a switch.
Even though God is with us at all times and we can squeeze in prayers on our walks to school or on the train, He is also our King and not only deserves, but COMMANDS our full attention. And sometimes we can't reach so deep on the train or in the supermarket. Jesus went to the mountain to have his intimate moments — maybe your mountain top is a private room, getting on your knees, prepping with a worship song, lights turned off. Whatever it is, coming back to the heart of worship is absolutely needed.
For me, dates with Jesus at Starbucks worked for us. And today, I woke up and my soul was CRAVING a date with him. And so as silly and stupid as I felt, I put myself in a position where I knew my eyes and ears and heart and mind would be at His fullest attention. So it's not about Starbucks, it's about finding a way to give Him your fullest and undivided attention.
A cup of coffee is just a plus. (;
This is the most beautiful blogpost and I find myself returning to it and reading it. Thank you for it.
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thank you for your sweet words. :) Wow, I haven't read this post for two years since I wrote it... This was a great reminder for me today. Thank you for commenting on it so I could read it again. :)
Delete