Starbucks. I’m not a big fan because I think this company has turned the beautiful, intricacies of espresso and steamed milk from an exquisite, well-crafted entree at a fine restaurant into a slapped together McDonald’s combo meal.
But as some foodies have a weakness for Mickey D’s fries, so I have a weakness for peppermint mochas. Yet, now its good peppermint syrup has not only made me grow a bit fonder of Starbucks, but it holds even more of a special place in my heart because it is the spot where I got my first delicious tastes of the World Race.
It was on the 3rd level of a 7-story, high-society-styling mall in Bangkok where I met my friend Katie Rowland at Starbucks. It was here in November 2008 where I sat on a dark brown wooden chair around a small round table with her and watched her chocolate eyes become full of love and passion as she described how through this adventure called the World Race, God was transforming her heart and how she had seen others in the world revolutionized by His Love.
It was that passionate light in her eyes that made me so excited about running home to tell Dominic about this crazy trip.
And a few nights ago, a year and a month later, it happened again. We drove up to Starbucks in south Charlotte, partly because I had a Starbucks gift card burning in my wallet, and walked into the cozily lit room to find our friend we were meeting, Nate Hood (who Dom later said made me look like a dwarf), the guy who would give us our next fresh tastes of the World Race.
I noticed as he began to talk of his journey how he reminded me of Katie, how his eyes held the same passion that hers had flickered with. He said he wouldn’t trade the trip for anything– 11 months of constantly being out of comfort zones, constantly relying on God, constantly learning how to love those who can be hard to love–constantly being refined day by day–Nothing.
He wouldn’t trade this heart that he now has for the poor who he can now pray and cry for by name. He wouldn’t trade this soul which has been heightened to detect and fight spiritual attacks. He wouldn’t trade the world for it.
While listening to Katie and Nate, the Starbucks enviornment around me was screaming of American values: convienence, efficiency, power, domination. Yet, in this place those World Racers’ eyes were gently, humbly speaking of other values: love, transformation, endurance, grace.
These truths were things they knew before, but through this adventure God had cemented them deeper into their souls so now as they speak of their voyage in a place that contrasts their new lessons so brightly they shine like unexpected light bulbs in a dark, wet cave, making all the moths of the world hover round, yearning to be near this unusual light.
How I look forward to our future Starbucks talks after our adventure. What will our eyes speak of? How I hope they glow like theirs.
