donteattrash

My friend Micah had told me about a drink. Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and a shot of vanilla. It was called a london fog. And because i trust Micahs opinion on most things and i love earl grey tea, i almost instantly ran to our local cafe.

I had been trying to go there regularly for a while to make friends with people i live with by walking up and down the highway with coffees, and oddly enough try and get to know the baristas, but they had kept changing and friendships with strangers don’t seem to happen as easily at 6am when your not behind the counter.

So, fast forward some weeks and i walk in, not knowing if they could make it, or if it was actually a real drink. So i awkwardly ask –

“Ok, this might be weird, but my friend told me it was real and i was wondering if you could try making it”

New baristas look at each other… “yeh what is it”

Me – “Well… its early grey tea, with steamed milk and a shot of vanilla”

Pause.

Them – “Is it all steamed milk? or some water”

“I’m not sure”

“Do you leave the leaves in?”

“ummm…. ok.”

“ok i’ll give it a go”

Me a friend sat down, wondering what it would be like, and started talking of other things whilst there was giggling and all sort of things behind us. They finished, and i got up, took a taste and it was glorious.

Then we headed out on our walk.

Two days later i’m back in the cafe, – “Can i get the same please, it was awesome”

“It was ok with leaving the leaves in?”

“Yeh.”

So she went off, making another drink that was probably still a little weird, i had asked for a hong kong fog (jasmine and hazelnut) but they had no jasmine.

Second version was a huge amount better. It was stronger, more flavorful, small talk with the barista and outside again.

A few days later I took justin down in the wee hours of the morning to just sit and chat, and he wanted to try one too, so we got two more – and during the transaction, the barista offered me a regular rewards type card and then punched the card a few extra times. We sat town and chatted and this one was even better. More leaves yes, but that makes it fun.

Confident, affirmation, reaps confident out workings.

When we tell people who they are, proudly, loudly and with a conviction in our voices – people listen and walk out in it.

It changes their countenance.

The kingdom of God changes peoples countenance.