CassieI have worked for Starbucks for almost two years now.
I remember when I was first called and told that I got the job. I was on my way to meet Johnny’s parents when my assistant manager called and told me I was hired! To many friends, it seemed like a strange job to be so excited about, but I had wanted to work at Starbucks since I was a little girl.
Since I was 13, and a barista gave me free food at the end of her shift and chatted with me for half an hour about Christianity, even though it meant she got out of work late.
Since I went to my most frequent Starbucks and every barista knew me by name, cared about me and my life, and showed genuine interest in getting to know me.
Since I first tried a soy caramel latte, and started learning about espresso, and the mission of Starbucks.
I’m passionate about the company and its mission, but, like any job, sometimes it becomes routine.
Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest. ISAIAH 32:15
Sometimes, I sacrifice getting to know a customer, or listening to a co-worker, out of stress to get a cleaning task done.
I have thought more about getting home and done work in time to finish an assignment than connecting with the souls that come in and out of our store.
And why? It’s those shifts that I remember, that I’m passionate about, and that I feel called to. And, when these connections happen genuinely, they are never because “I set my mind to it,” but because I gave the shift to the Lord and said, God, give me Your eyes. Don’t let me be like “Martha,” worried about getting the mundane things done. Give me a Heavenly mindset to see the eternal and important things. To see each soul in my midst the way You do, as precious children of You.
I was reminded of the way the Lord wants to use me at Starbucks tonight, as I worked a shift at a different store from my own. The shift supervisor was a man named Ryan, and we had such a fun shift together. Every once in a while, he checked up on me to see if there was anything he could do for me, to make me feel more comfortable, or to help me out. He served customers as though that person in front of him was the only thing on his mind. He truly worked in such a servant manner, and took the time to converse and get to know me, too. AND at the end of the night, refused to let me take the bus home, and gave me a ride.
He lived not for himself throughout that shift, but for the people around him.
When we live for God, the Holy Spirit provides that awareness of the love for others around us.
So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 1 CORINTHIANS 11:20-21
Righteous living means Cassie is out of the picture. Cassie wants the Lord to be seen– and, He has so taught me, living in Him ends up looking like serving and loving others joyfully. It means a lot of smiles, laughs, and “no worries” about the little things. He has a lot of love to spread, and His amazing love means I want to spend time in prayer, time at His feet to get to know Him and His plans for me and those around me.
Thank-you, barista Ryan, for the way you loved and served tonight. You reminded me that “rule-based” work is not righteous work.
I pray that we are all able to live our lives submitted to the amazing Holy Spirit of Jesus who wants to do amazing things through us– things that matter eternally.
