Cell Phones and Coffee

This morning I was meeting a couple guys at a local coffee house. We always have great discussions about a real God who has done everything He can so that we can have a real relationship with Him.

I am new to the coffee scene and do not know all the etiquette. I walked in talking on my cell phone and got in line to order. Keep in mind that I hate it when I see people try to order something while still talking on the phone. I think it is rude and impersonal. So the guy in front of me is finished and the barista goes to the guy behind me. I motion to him that I was next and he pointed to a sign and turned his back on me. The sign explained how they would not wait on you until you were off the phone.

I was a little miffed at first. Then I realized I was doing exactly what I criticize other people for doing. That was lesson one for the morning. Isn't that just like us. We get frustrated with something someone does. Then we get upset when someone points out the same behavior in us. Bravo, for the barista in Angel Falls Coffee (http://www.angelfallscoffee.com/). It reminded me that I need to be careful before I pass judgement, if I am not willing to live by the same standards. I was being rude and impersonal and I deserved the response that I got.

There was another lesson I learned this morning. I walked in not knowing the rule the owner of Angel Falls had concerning cell phones. While I was still in the wrong, it made me think about the times we are not clear with people who are new to the church. We place expectations on people who walk into the church, without them even knowing the expectations. Then when they don't live up to the expectations, we turn our back on them as if to make a point. I know this may sound stupid, but I felt some guilt as if I needed to apologize for my mistake. I wondered if this is how people feel when they make a mistake, not knowing that they have done anything wrong. Probably. So as Christ followers we need to be careful how we point out mistakes others make. We need to ask ourselves if they knew the rule before they broke the rule. Especially if we were not clear about the rule in the first place.

I had one of the guys I was with order my coffee for me while I closed out my conversation. This is where I learned my final lesson. I would have ordered it in a to go cup instead of a house mug. But because I was pre-occupied with my phone I did not get it exactly the way I wanted (John, if you read this, it is my fault). This is probably one of the reasons they do not take orders from people on the phone. If it's not right, then the person ordering probably blames the Barista. But it's not the Barista's fault. When we do not give others our full attention then communication breaks down.

I hate cells phones.