Yesterday I had a great conversation with my dear friend Sarah. Her and I were talking about being a witness to others. When I lived in Alabama I kinda felt like I lived in a “christian bubble”. I worked at a christian bookstore, where my most of the friends I made where from and my other friends where from church. I loved my time there, but I never really felt I allowed myself to be in a place where I could witness to anyone. Now that I work for a rather popular coffee shop, with many non-christians as co-workers and customers who I have come to be on friendly terms with. I feel at times I fail as a witness for Christ when I’m bummed about something. But as I talked with Sarah, I realized that a christian walk isn’t happy go lucky all the time. A “real” (by real I mean reality) walk you go through those valleys. Why fool somebody that its going to be easy? God never promised it would be easy, but yet the world expects Christians to be “happy” all the time. Yes, I have found this joy that has impacted my life greatly. A love that is beyond any I can find on this earth. But, I still struggle because, I am still a sinner. A sinner covered in the blood of Jesus, but sinner non the less.

A challenge to myself at work is the customers really. I get along with all my coworkers most of the time. There are times we all get frustrated with each other, but that’s more do to the stress we are under. Customers can be snobby, rude, and impatience. I don’t show them the love of Christ a lot of times I will admit. But after the refreshing conversation, I was ready to face a new day in showing Christ to customers. I should know by now that when I commit to something like this, most always the extreme comes my way. Remember the great movie Good Will Hunting ? I love that movie, despite the f-word being every other word said. A guy came in this morning reminded me so much of Matt Damon’s character (unfortunately not in the looks department) when he was upset. The customer recognized me from high school as the girlfriend of the guy I dated back then. He kept talking and talking but I couldn’t hear him do to the steamer. He sat down and drank his grande water. My shift lead and co-worker where kinda weary of him cause he was kinda aggressive with his conversation to himself and random customers (cussing and kind of loud). Of course he lets everyone he “knows” me because I walked more water over to him when he asked for some (he was on crunches with a very bursed and swollen foot) and asked my name. So my shift lead asks me what his story was, I told her I did not know him personally. She was ready to call the cops on him because he was acting kind of scary to her. I normally would of been quick to want to get him out as well. But, my heart when out to the guy. You could tell no one gave him a time of day like my co-workers wanted to. Of course my coworkers thought I was being too friendly to him thinking he wasn’t stable. He may not of been, but out casting him wouldn’t help anything, that I knew.

Now, its not like he was yelling at my because I made his coffee wrong. Its not that I had to bit my lip and smile and take care of his need. He was just kind of out there. I’m usually weary for safety reasons mostly of people like that. I did more than once wish Jace lived closer to have him just come sit to make sure the guy didn’t pull anything. But I felt I needed to show this guy love that no one else was going to show him. How often do I go out of my way to avoid those who are “out there”? Their need for a savior is just as great as mine. Who am I to not tell them about Christ’s love? Has it not change my life so much that I keep it from others? Even though Christ has commanded me to share it? It seems that a lot of times as a Christian I have the mind set that I will only share the gospel to those who are approachable. Many more would probably show kindness to a “normal” person on the street. Jesus said “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) That verse came a live to me this morning.