Second Hand Blessings

I am sure when most of us use the term second hand, we mean something is used or passed down to us by another. And, most likely, that is the actual meaning. But in this case, I mean a blessing that is intended for one but is inadvertently given to another as well.

I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs that Becca and I own The Hard Bean Café. This has been a lot of hard work for us both. My husband has given his fair share of time and energy even though he has a full time job elsewhere. And our youngest daughter, a senior at University of Central Missouri, has pitched in over and above what is required as well. We have recently been thankful to hire three honest, hardworking, kind, and dedicated part time employees who have lessened the load for Becca and me. Yet though we boast fewer hours on the schedule, it still tops more than our bodies often want to give. For instance, last week the schedule proclaimed a mere 46 hour for my presence. In reality, I was working in the shop 56 hours last week. I won’t even begin to list the number of hours Becca puts in there. Weekly we are grateful to be closed on Sundays (when we return for heavy cleaning, repairs, or decorating for events or seasons like Christmas).

But in spite of all the energy spent giving of ourselves as we dispense Lattes, bagels, sandwiches and soup to the public at large, what we have received in return cannot be weighed or measured.

For one thing, we have received first hand blessings. Each of our customers blesses us just by being themselves and sharing their lives with us. We have prayed for many of them through job searches, bar exams, and illnesses and many have prayed for us. Some have shared the adoption process of their new baby and our eyes fill up the day they bring the little one to meet us. They bring parents or siblings who are visiting from out of town to meet us. We have met more wonderful people who live in our town in the nearly two years our shop has been open than we have in the entire eleven years we’ve lived in this town. And we have made many dear friends of these customers as well. We did not expect to receive joy in return for a latte or cappuccino.

But of greater joy to my heart, have been what I call the second hand blessings. The second hand blessings are times we have been honored to witness the joy of our customers. Countless times, we see old friends bumping into one another. I can’t say how many times I’ve heard, “Oh, my goodness! I haven’t seen you in ages. What are you doing here at The Hard Bean?” And usually the response is, “I always come here.” To which the first person says, “Me, too!” I specifically recall two New Zealanders who had not seen one another for several years. What a joy to watch that surprise reunion! We’ve been honored to witness couples meet here for the first time and who will eventually marry. We’ve watched the progress of budding love all the way to the marriage altar. We’ve been the proverbial fly on the wall as proud grandparents from far away towns visit their local grand-families and we’ve smiled along as they laugh together sharing stories of the days they’ve been apart.

One of the best events we were the honored witnesses of was just the other day when three students from one of Kansas City’s many colleges had arranged to meet their ‘adopted’ family with gifts for Christmas right at our shop. The ‘Bean was sooooo busy that day, we barely had time to take a breath. But at the time these three entered, it had been emptied long enough for us to clean all the tables and put the ‘behind the bar’ area in order once more. Christmas carols played joyously in the background, little white lights sparkled around the big front window and our little Christmas tree twinkled merrily by the glowing corner fireplace where stockings are hung with care. A perfect setting that could not have been arranged any better if planned ahead. The only thing missing was seeing snow falling outside, which is blanketing Main Street today as I write. The family entered the still empty shop within a few moments. They were a young mom, dad, and two girls aged two years and six months. They sat together on one of our comfy leather loveseats facing the Christmas tree. They all chatted for a few minutes. And then the gift was given and opened – a substantial gift card to any store at The Country Club Plaza. Mom’s breath was taken away and tears instantly streamed down her face. She gave the gift to Dad. He smiled broadly. “Well, kids,” he said, “It looks like we’re going to have a nice Christmas afterall.” And to the gift bearers, a very solemn, “Thank you.” Becca and I were standing at the back of the shop behind the canisters of loose leaf teas. We looked at each other with tears in our own eyes. “What a blessing we have just received,” I said. She nodded silently.

Sometimes second hand blessings have a greater impact in the world than the first hand blessings we are given. When we can share another’s joy, it is like that joy is multiplied a hundred or even thousand fold. Because joy, like love, is meant to be given and shared. But when that joy is shared secretly, the blessing runs so deep and fills the heart of the recipient to such immense overflowing that when it is shared, it is then shared a thousand fold.