Three

This is a tale of three.

There were just a scattered few, sitting at tables in the coffee shop. A quiet afternoon for the place.

An old man sat at a table by himself, peacefully in his space. A newspaper lay on the table in front of him as he warmed his hands on his coffee cup.

A teenage girl entered the shop on her work break. She ordered her drink and proceeded to sit by herself at a table across from the old man.

Another man, maybe about 30 years old, brought his purchase over to the table with the newspaper. When he saw the old man sitting there, he yelled at him. He called him horrible names. Swearing and demeaning his elder. Then he stomped out of the shop, leaned against the building and pulled out a cigarette.

The old man was stunned. Shocked. Saddened.
The teenage girl was stunned. Shocked. Moved.

She got up and sat down at the table of the old man.
And she smiled at him.
He just said, "What did I do? What did I do?"
And she reassured him. Comforted him.

She went back to work.

The 30 year old was hurting, angry.
The old man was now hurting, sad.
The teen girl was learning, loving.

Three ages.
Three life experiences.
Three people in a coffee shop.

All three left an impact on the other coffee aficionados who sat watching and hearing the display of aggression.

The next day, the girl went back to the shop on her work break again. Her eyes met with the eyes of the same old man from the day before.
And he smiled at her.

Love works, folks.
Live the love you have in you.

Have a coffee and smile at someone in the shop today.
You never know what their day has been like and what an act of friendliness has the power to do.

"The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit." (Proverbs 15:4, NIV)

Jesus poured out of that girl in the coffee shop that day.

Give me Jesus, because yes, He loves me so.
For the record, He loves you too.
And every single person in the coffee shop.