Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Coffee finger pain


It is good when your coffee finger hurts. Coffee finger pain is related to holding a mug of coffee too long, . . . it is sorta the carpel tunnel syndrome of relationships. But it’s good not bad.

It comes from having multiple or constant cups of coffee in your hand in the process of good conversation with significant relationships. Those relationships might be the dirty old man next door (evangelistic - uncle Lybe) or something like today, where I sit for three hours and a half with two really sharp CMA pastors, that have keen hearts for missions, and frankly want to see their congregations surge forward with an intense involvement in missions around the world.

Now when you sit there for 3.5 hours with your finger in your coffee mug, it starts to hurt! This is a great way to gauge the intensity of good conversation. These guys are so amazing that I met with today, because they are both bringing short term teams to the hairy armpit to help us a church/seminary, and neither of them actually have a building themselves! They both meet in schools . . . they both really wish that they had a building to call their own . . . but they are not planning to allow their lack, to interfere with reaching out half way across the world and helping someone else first.

I frankly find such attitudes extremely rare and amazingly refreshing. Instead of the mission-field receiving the proverbial used tea bag, these guys are putting missional needs ahead of their own needs. These fellows and what they represent are a great reason to wear your coffee finger out. I could have sat there all day with them! I wish I could find a dozen more men like them. They are my heros, and I want to be just like them.

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