You know how we are always told to be a light wherever we go? Sometimes I'm not so great at that. More often than not, I just don't think to look around for opportunities to share the gospel when I'm out doing things. Some people are good at that... Me? Not so much. I tend to need someone to slap me in the face. Or maybe come running up to me screaming "Hey you! I need Jesus!" But that would make things easy, now wouldn't it? Jesus never said it would be easy. Actually he said it would be terribly hard (Matthew 24:9). So I started noticing when people came running up to me screaming their need for Jesus.
Obviously they didn't put it in so many words. But it turns out that coffee baristas have all kinds of people talk to them. Think about it: you walk into a nice warm room full of relaxed people, reading, chatting, studing, meeting, etc., and you walk up to the counter to order yourself a comfort drink. You are there searching for something, everyone is. That is why they go to the coffee shop. Look for a place to escape your reality for just a minute and drown in the comfort of a sweet cup of coffee.
Welcome to the coffee shop.
The first person who talks to you, usually, would be me. The barista who asks you how you are doing and what they can serve to you. It takes a minute to prepare your coffee so you chat while she does it. You've already stepped into a relaxed environment and you kinda start to feel like you can let yourself go. So you talk, at first it is about this and that, but soon you've just indulged all kinds of personal information to this random girl you've never met before.
This is the situation I find myself in all the time. It's like "Here you go, Sarah, have an opportunity today!" So what do I do? I talk back, sometimes they need comfort, sometimes just someone who will listen, other times they ligitimately need advice. And when that opportunity arrises, I would be a fool to ignor it. Now, no one want Jesus shoved down their throat (when something is shoved down your throat you tend to choke). So I introduce, usually to myself. After all, since Jesus has done such a wonderful work in my life they will see that, and want it themselves.
Rarely do they just come once either. Once they have opened themself up to someone they usually come back. Then you have another opportunity, after all they already know where you are going to take it so you may as well.
More often than not, you are introduced to their deep dark secrets, and that is ok. They are sinners, that doesn't mean run away. Jesus hung out with sinners (Matthew 9:12), why shouldn't I? I'm a sinner. I just have grace.
Why not share it?
