The Heavenly Hymns of a Café
I’ve often wrestled with the frustration that arises from an imperfect scenario.
In this case: I seek peace and quiet in a coffee shop.
But the coffee shop is anything but peaceful.
And yet—with the Lord, even an imperfect scenario can become inexpressibly perfect.
Every moment is a gift.
But in our neediness, we reject what is given,
and cling instead to what we wish had been.
We reach for silence,
when God is offering grace.
I attempt to demonstrate this in a story:
My sister thought it would be nice
to spend time at the local café—
reading, journaling.
It was a kind suggestion.
But I can’t focus.
Conversations float through the air,
words tumbling from every corner of the room,
competing for my attention.
The book before me doesn’t stand a chance.
My sister, seemingly unbothered,
blends effortlessly into the atmosphere.
How? Why can’t I?
Doesn’t the chewing, the clinking, the chatter bother her?
Lord, help me.
Lift me up from this fog.
I don’t ask for silence—
I ask for grace.
Reveal Your Light, which I know is here,
though I am too blind to see it.
Purify my soul.
Let me hear the song that rises
effortlessly through every sound.
Let me hear the woodwind of the espresso steam.
The melody of spoons and mugs,
mingling against tables.
The quiet percussion of pages turning,
the rustling of coats,
the low murmur of voices.
All of it—
blending into a holy symphony.
Do not stop the noise, Lord—
but restore my hearing.
Make me deaf to evil,
but attentive to the perfect orchestra of creation.
And now—
my thoughts play like lyrics
against the heavenly hymns of this moment.
And Your love—
it is the breath in every tune.
It is the rhythm beneath the chaos.
It is the wind that carries the song forward
through Time.
Glory to You, O Lord for allowing me to partake in this creation. And for restoring my fallen perspective to something holier. Perfect what is lacking in this work, so that the readers may receive some fruit from You too. Amen.