Ronnie Williams

I think it’s very strange how our mind works. Today, I thought of a friend from 40 years ago and the trigger was a coffee pot.

Ronny was a fun guy.  He was always smiling and joking around even though his life was not what most would call exciting, fulfilling, or even pleasant on most days. But we were friends because, well how could you not be friends with him?

• He had a glass eye. So, you never really knew if he was looking straight at you. He thought that was amusing and used it - all the time!
• He was a diligent employee who seemed to be passed over for promotion more than one might expect.
• I saw him dejected only once.

Everybody took turns, even Ronnie who never drank a cup of coffee in his life. The Coffee-pot-detail fell to the person who was scheduled to open the store. It was his turn on a very cold Minnesota winter morning. 

As a supermarket, there was much to prepare before opening the store to customers. This meant that the scheduled opener needed to be fully engaged and working a couple of hours earlier than everybody else.

While performing required duties, there was also an unwritten rule that firmly suggested that this person also prepares for the early-to-rise employees. This was primarily carried out with the making of coffee in an enormous pot that took nearly an hour to finish brewing.

As seriously as Ronnie took his job, he adhered to the unwritten rules as well.

Turning the key in the lock, he let the first few employees in the door. Most barely made eye contact let alone greeted him. But that was normal, no matter who had the key.

Stumbling and grumbling, one by one they made their way to the back of the store.  Entering an area called the ‘employee lounge’, each grabbed a cup and made zombie-like moves towards the hissing and burping pot of liquid energy. 

I’m surprised that many of you don’t remember this day as the collective howl from angry employees must have reached decibel levels unheard of since.

It seems abundantly clear that a cup of hot water was not the expectation. 

Ronnie had filled the pot and turned the proper knobs and switches. But - he left the pot to brew without adding the ground coffee. 

Angry mob!

Dejected Ronnie!

I never heard that anyone had been seriously wounded. And since Ronnie was in attendance at my wedding ceremony, I know they didn’t kill him. Somehow, someway, everyone survived waiting that extra hour for what could only have been caffeine-infused battery acid. 

But then, why am I telling you this story?

Well, at 4:30 AM today, I climbed out of coziness on a chilly morning anticipating my day-starter. I had remembered to add the beans. I had remembered to set the timer. I turned all the nobs and switches. But through blurry eyes, all I was able to see in that coffee pot was clear and not-so-inviting hot water. 

Ronnie forgot the coffee grinds. I forgot to add the water to the reservoir. In both cases, identical results.

And so, I remembered Ronnie.

• His heart was so in the right place.
• He tried to serve others by preparing coffee for his co-workers.
• He nearly collapsed under the weight of scorn and anger from those same people.

We are in the Season of Lent.

• With hearts and minds so in the right place, we try.
• We lament as we also remember how often and how deeply we do not live up to the example of Jesus.
• But we do not fear collapse. The scorn and anger that should be directed towards us have instead been nailed to the Cross.
• We rejoice knowing that we do not hang our heads in despair. Instead, we raise them in thankful praise to a God that forgives completely.
• We rejoice knowing that we are all imperfect, we are all trying to do the right thing, we are all reaching for the hope that is revealed and fulfilled on this Cross.

Tomorrow, we are allowed to start all over again.