Coffee Hour

            God knows I left the coffee fellowship hour in Heritage Hall feeling a little bereft.  You see, during my drive to church this morning, I asked God to direct me to newcomers or anyone standing alone.  The only two people I saw standing alone, even momentarily  (well, except for the poor woman I accidentally backed into and practically knocked over) were the church office manager and the pastor, both of whom I talked with briefly.  It seemed everyone else was engaged in a group, and I was the one standing alone.

            Driving away from the church, I talked my feelings over with God, telling him I was sorry that, despite my good intentions, opportunities to be welcoming had simply not materialized.  I reminded myself that the point was to share Jesus’ love.    

I decided to enjoy a nice cuppa and a sweet potato tart at Whidbey Coffee.  Kindle in purse, I was ready for a reading break.  Oops, no sweet potato tarts today, so I chose a healthy alternative for a change:  vegan breakfast cookie.  But even before I made my selection, I spotted someone lounging in one of the comfy chairs in the back.  Immediately, I knew that this was the opportunity God had in mind for me.

            Before I could talk myself out of greeting a virtual stranger and before I could worry too much about how I might be misinterpreted, I forged ahead, coffee and cookie in hand.  “Didn’t I see you at choir practice?” I ventured.

            And thus began a pleasant conversation with Ron, an older man who had showed up at choir rehearsal last Wednesday.  I never got around to my Kindle reading.          

Leaving Whidbey Coffee, I no longer felt bereft because God had answered my prayer in a way I had not imagined, giving me the opportunity to extend welcome to someone who was sitting, not standing, alone.