As those closest to me will know…I love coffee shops, and particular Mugg & Bean…free internet, bottomless coffee friendly staff, good music playing in my ears (obviously from a laptop) and the aroma of freshly baked muffins and a whole lot of random people who are going about their daily business…all with their unique stories – it makes one feel rather at "home".
It's quite weird how a few of life's little pleasures can conjure up such a lot of emotions and feelings…and this only from a coffee shop. This feeling of 'home' is actually quite interesting, because I don't even like Johannesburg…I mean…who like to struggle to breathe (I have huge sinus issues here)…wake up at the crack of dawn (5:45 this morning) to leave for work (6:15am this morning – although I was taking my mom to work) to sit in traffic…to drop my mom off and to travel another about 4km (which subsequently takes 20 minutes) to the gym…and then…alas…my little place of refuge…yes…Mugg & Bean!
Why is it that I feel this way? I suppose it's familiar, it's warm and inviting…I feel relaxed…if feel creative! But most importantly I think it reminds me of home (Hillcrest).
As I am pondering this I'm made aware of the fact that as it's written in 1 Peter 2:11 that we are "temporary residents and foreigners" in this world and keep away from worldly desires that wage war against our souls…you see I am not at home at the moment…I'm sitting in Jo'burg, but I "feel" at home… My feelings often tend to drive what is truth and not the other way around. This can so easily happen to us in the world - we get so attached to the things of this world and forget that it is ALL in fact temporary…this is NOT our home. I look at my own life and I see that I can get so caught up with the things of this world that I often loose perspective on what REALLY is important. I think the same is true of the Church – often we are so 'comfortable' in where we are in our walk or church community, that we forget what we are commissioned to do!
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
There are still a whole lot of people that don't know Jesus – the one that is in fact NOT temporary…
As Mugg & Bean have been my "home away from home", let's not forget that this world that we live in is not our real home and that even the church communities that we belong to is NOT home, but a "home away from home" and that we have a job to do that will have an eternal impact on others…so as the book of Hebrews puts it…
Hebrews 12:1
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let's keep our focus and throw off all the things that distract us (even the comfortable stuff) so we can do what God has called us to do!
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