Signs of the Times pt. 2- Witches Brew

So, I've started this entry 3 times already, even getting several paragraphs down before getting pulled away for dinner or friends or much needed sleep. Each time, everything was lost- twice because Microsoft decided that Windows should update and spontaneously reboot my laptop, and once because I hit the save button on my blog page and apparently Xanga said, "NO!"

So, here I am on attempt number 4. Maybe I should take a hint, but the last post was for fun. These next few are for reflection, because I realize how much God has used Starbucks to teach my about myself, others, and most importantly Himself. I want to keep them, massage and chew on them to get the most benefit. So, here are a few fun/slightly profound life lessons learned or reinforced from the last half year or so.

First off, we are a nation of addicts- it's just that simple. Our country has a serious love affair with coffee in general and Starbucks in specific. Many of them are delightful addicts, but still... many of our customers are in the store 6 days a week at least, and I've had several shifts where I opened the store at 5:30am and by 11am I'd seen the same person come in 2 and 3 times. People will even get annoyed that we are closed for silly things like sleep and ice storms.

I'm sure it's partly my jaundiced view of coffee overall (it's disgusting... liquid evil, except you'd expect evil to at least seem pleasing), but I sometimes wonder how people can be so consumed with something as trivial as coffee. But of course, I can be so consumed with plenty of other things that I care about and be completely justified (wow... I've gone italics-happy). The problem is my superiority complex has brought me to guilt and self examination and remembering again that God's standards are really the only ones that matter. By God's standard, idolatry is the big problem. That's what all addiction is, no matter how big or small. Sure, I may feel better about my love of Mt. Dew because it tastes better and it's way cheaper... but Paul's challenge was that he would not be mastered by anything. So, now I'm re-evaluating when habits become addictive or idolatrous in other ways... sure was easier when I could just despise coffee nerds.