Drip Coffee and Dallas Believers

Yesterday I went to a new favorite local coffee shop and enjoyed drip coffee and good conversation with a Dallas resident. In first-day-of-school Kindergartner fashion, I immediately told Ty, “I have a friend!”

Let me back up.

Sunday was a miracle. Truly.

We had been researching churches online for a while. One church immediately caught my attention, back in the fall, before we were even actively searching. We listened to a few sermons and loved everything we read about this community of believers. The more we broadened our research, the more discouraged we felt. Big church. HUGE church. Social Gospel believing church? Far-away church. High church. Ah! Overwhelming, to say the least. (Not that all of these are bad things.)

The more Ty and I talked, the more we felt we need to be somewhere on the small side, where we could be known. Without accountability, we’d both be tempted to clam up and choose tasks over people. Because of this, we made a game-time decision to try KP. Additionally, we had just found out that my bestie Tali knows the pastor and his family - his son was one of her close friends at college.

When we arrived at the rented facility, only four cars were in the parking lot. (We both have the problem of arriving too early!) With about ten minutes to service time, we finally walked in…to a small room of about fifty empty chairs, an electric piano, a small communion table, and a few children chatting. In a matter of minutes, the room began to fill and we were warmly greeted by every member. (The pastor was beyond thrilled when he found out I was Tali’s best friend!) No, I’m not exaggerating. Okay, okay, so there were a few latecomers we didn’t meet. If you ever want to feel like a celebrity, just walk a Weimaraner or attend a small church service.

After a beautiful, simple, Gospel-centered service, the conversation just continued. People across the demographic board showed us incredible hospitality. The small community all broke down the room and then most everyone headed to Fuddrucker’s. (Did you know they have GF buns?!) Pastor W bought our lunch and spent some time asking our stories. We heard the church’s background (it’s a plant in year three of launch) and chatted with one other family in particular. That mama kindly asked if I needed a place to do laundry and offered her home and grand piano as study/practice space, as well. Oh, and did I mention they already provide GF communion bread for one member and said they’d be willing to do the same for me?

Michelle is twenty-something I met on Sunday. Before leaving service, she asked for my contact info. On Monday she invited me to coffee this week. Turns out we have many commonalities and interests: she started her undergrad degree in music at SMU, she’s a seminary student, she loves C.S. Lewis, she’s an INFJ (Myers-Briggs - I’m an INTJ), she’s a recovering perfectionist, and she’s been married two years. What a blessing it was to hear her story and share mine. So many times I felt as if she was telling my own story. Post-coffee, I texted a few of my small-group girls. One asked, “Are you sure you weren’t looking in the mirror?”

So much for blending in and walking the sanctuary incognito. How thankful we are for God’s family that is everywhere. The common bond between believers is such a blessing - one that we don’t take for granted.

So where do we go from here? We are going back to KP on Sunday. We are going to be intentional and see where the Lord leads. He has made each step clear as we have needed guidance. In this, too, we trust Him.