Day 236- A Sunday Delivery First

Today, a friend delivered a Starbucks iced coffee to me at church for my "first."

This was a really kind "first" because we do not have a Starbucks in our town.  This friend loves Starbucks coffee and drinks the iced kind.  I'm really unfamiliar with the whole iced coffee scene, so she offered to bring me one to church and I accepted.  I am running low on ideas for "firsts" (yes, that's a plea for ideas) and this seemed to be a good one for a Sunday when "firsts" are hard to come by for me.  As a pastor, I've done lots of things at church so coming up with a Sunday "first" has become particularly challenging. 

I asked her to bring me what she drinks.  So, she brought me a venti non-fat iced latte. It is a double espresso with skim milk over ice.  I'm pretty sure I've never had one of these because I asked her to text what it was so I could get it right here on the blog.  It was very sweet of her to do this.  OK, let me rephrase that. She was very kind, but sweet had nothing to do with this "first."  That had to be one of the most bitter things I've ever tasted.  Wow, that was horrible. Whew, I've had bitter before and she told me it would be bitter, but that was seriously bitter.  Our Sunday morning Bible class got a pretty good laugh out of me on this one. When I took the first drink, I was expecting bitter, but I did not mean to say, "Golly, that's bitter."  But I did. I only said it was horrible about 5 times.  I usually don't say that about gifts that people bring me, but she knew it was bitter and was having a good laugh about it.  Hannah Grace saw the Starbucks cup on my desk and wanted to try it.  So, I let her.  She said it was terrible.  That's exactly the reaction I had hoped for.

It did bring up an interesting discussion.  Why is it that so many things that people get addicted to taste horrible the first few times you try it?  We thought of examples like coffee, cigarettes, coke, diet coke, beer, whiskey, etc.  Not all of those are things we taste in our class, but the point is that a lot of things that are addicting taste horrible at first taste.  We did not solve why that is.

This vastly improved the drink to me

 

Of course, this was all in fun. I really appreciate my kind friend bringing my an iced coffee for my "first."  What I enjoyed about this "first" was that the class got a good laugh out of it and that sort of carried over into the class. I love to hear God's people laugh at church. I really believe God's people should laugh much and often together.  That's one thing I enjoy about our Sunday morning Bible class.  I enjoy hearing them laugh together. I enjoy walking into our worship time a few minutes early and hearing laughter.  People that are truly laughing together are enjoying each other. I firmly believe that Christians should enjoy God and each other.  We are much better witnesses when we are laughing together as opposed to arguing or just trying to look holy.  When you know that you are loved and accepted by God and a few close brothers and sisters, you can laugh and relax a bit. I remember Jerry Clower saying something like, "Hell is the only place where there is no laughter and I've made arrangements to miss hell, so ha ha."

I encourage you to laugh with a brother or sister this week. Don't try to look so holy and righteous that you can't laugh or smile.  All you'll do that way is to be pain the neck and that's not a really good witness for Jesus.  Remember, the Bible says in Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones."

Glad for the joy of the abundant life
Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1. Kind friends who help me with my "firsts"
2. Opportunity to preach at the jail tonight
3. Hopewell people that go to the jail each Sunday night to minister there