Coffee Cup Memos

I learned many years ago that if you want to stop sulking in sadness and disappointment, you should volunteer. When you start serving other people, you stop thinking about yourself. Your focus shifts away from your own struggles and onto the needs of others as you look for ways to help them.

This past Saturday was one of my most memorable privileges to serve. Our worship band was invited to play a few songs at the Salvation Army during one of their Addiction Recovery services. People from all walks of life gathered in support of one another through shared hurts and hang-ups—with drugs and alcohol being the primary strongholds in this room. Even so, I could sense both joy and humility as people trickled into the worship center. Kindred spirits checked in with each other through casual conversation, while others chose to sit alone, closing their eyes in prayer or scanning the room as they patiently waited for the service to begin.

As they persevered in their sobriety journeys, it was clear how deeply they longed to reach tomorrow. Each day of clean living represents incremental progress that motivates them to keep going. There is a routine celebration whenever someone reaches a new milestone, and the line of celebrants displayed a full array of emotions—some confident, others nervous, some hopeful, and others deeply relieved. Cheers and applause erupted from the room whenever a person was awarded a token for reaching seven days, two weeks, a few months, or several years of sobriety.

The stories that courageous celebrants publicly shared tugged at my heart because these are my brothers and sisters in Christ—people who were tripped down onto the hard pavement, yet decided to get back up and walk with the scrapes and bruises they collected along the way. They were earnest in their prayers, and when they sang songs of worship to God in unison, their voices boomed with conviction and gratitude. As our band played through our set, we worshiped and prayed right alongside them. It’s amazing how music can unite a crowd, and when a room full of people sings to God Almighty, you can’t help but wonder what it will sound like when an enormous sea of faces in heaven amplify a majestic melody with their voices.

It was easily one of the most memorable fellowship experiences I’ve ever had. I dare not view myself as better off or more blessed—that would be pure arrogance. We all need a supportive community to rally behind us whenever life hits hard, and this night reinforced that truth for me. It was an honor to play a very small part, and if it inspired and encouraged even one person to depend on God and others to stay healthy, then it is more than enough reason for me to keep coming back.