First Baptist Church of Herndon

You need to go to Starbucks

Linda Soller | Aug 19, 2013

One night a week or so ago I got home from work and my husband was telling me that the tree guy would be coming the next day to work in the yard. Specifically the words coming out of his mouth were, “You need to have your car out of the driveway before 8 a.m. because the tree guy is coming.” What I heard him say was, “You need to leave early and go to Starbucks for coffee and a treat.” Naturally I gave him a big smile and said no problem. We were both feeling good about the situation. The next morning I was leaving the house by 7. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t in the way. My timing was perfect because there was no line at Starbucks when I arrived.

It’s not always easy to know if the person we are talking to is hearing what we are saying. It happens at work a lot when you think you have explained a task clearly and then later you see the results of what the person thought you said. At work you might have the person repeat the assignment back to you, just to be sure they understand. I doubt it ever crossed my husband’s mind to question me when it appeared I was being so agreeable.

The reverse of this situation is common as well. We often hear what we want to hear. As children we tried to take the instructions our parents were giving us and interpret them in a way that allowed us to do what we wanted to do in the first place. Actually children can be very good at that. Later with a confused expression the child explains that they misunderstood. In my case I totally understood what needed to happen I simply allowed myself to come to what seemed to be a natural conclusion. If I needed to leave early I’d have to skip something and breakfast was what I chose to skip. In hindsight I could have gotten up early but that truly never crossed my mind.

Jesus often dealt with this very issue. At times his disciples were confused about his message. He regularly used parables to try and explain things in terms that the common man could understand and relate to. In his words were the tools people needed to live a faithful life. His words still ring true even if though the parables are from a different time. I’m not entirely sure Jesus would have had a parable about Starbucks, but I’m certain he understands how people listen and hear what they want to hear.

At the end of the day the trees were trimmed, my car wasn’t in the way, my husband thought I was being cooperative, I got my coffee and treat, and to top it off I got a discount on an afternoon drink. Amazing, and all I heard was, you need to go to Starbucks!

Have a great week :o) Linda