A Heart's Response

Today it’s a blueberry muffin and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Avalanche, so good! I wait for my drink and it’s her again, who calls my number. I don’t know her name but kindness comes from her lips every time she speaks. A beautiful young lady with a soft English accent, beautiful creamy white skin, brown hair and lips like rubies. Sweet is the name of the people here I realize, greetings with love and true kindness. What is it that is different? I wonder to myself as she asks me yet again “How are you?”

It’s not the question, I think. It is the heart behind the question. Why do people always ask these questions when they don’t truly care the answer? It’s just something people do; it’s the way to fill uncomfortable silence. Why not just keep it silent and leave it awkward, when you don’t care the answer to the question you ask? Is it just the polite thing to do? I'm not sure. Her question, more so than before came with love, she seemed to care the answer. I wonder now, when I ask do I truly care the answer every time or am I trying to fill awkward silence? I may be doing just that at times.

I don’t want to do that! I doubt that Jesus asked people this question and didn’t care the answer. I’m sure he cared what the answer was with all his heart, yet he already knew their response. How much more should I care, when I don’t know what the response may be? I should care just as much. I have a heart for people; I really do care for people, their emotions and what they are going through. Not every time I've asked that question have I truly care for the answer. What is it in me that doesn’t care? Is it because I don’t know them? Well goodness what more of a way to get to know them.

On this trip I have learned to care for people that are hard to care for. May it be that they are difficult or I struggle with certain aspects of their personality? God has stretched me to reach out to the people others push away and to truly care what their answer is to such a question. I care what they feel, what they are going through and in my response to their answer they could feel comfort. The sweet barista genuinely cared to hear my answer to her question and I felt comfort in her hearts response. What a way to show Christ’s love, to care for one another.