Head Grinder

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 NIV

A friend of mine is graduating from college this week. The first time he did so it was around 30 years ago from a university you have to say “The” in front of. Since then I have known him to have several occupations. He was an administrator for an Assisted Living Center, but that changed. He managed a brewery in another city, but that changed. He helped start a new brewery here in Hays, but that changed. He sold life insurance, but that changed. He was on staff at our church, but that changed. You get the picture.

When he sold life insurance, he and I used to travel to Colorado Springs together. There were countless trips home in the middle of the night. We frequently drove through storms when we should have been in a storm shelter. In a car with someone for 10 hours round trip you talk about a lot of stuff. We had some great conversations, but we also had some arguments. In a car with a friend you trust but disagree with, there is no escaping. You talk.

We used to leave at 5:00 am and during the times when my son was not sleeping he would frequently start the trip with “how much sleep have you had?” There were times he drove the entire trip so I could sleep. There were also times when he wrote sermons on his laptop while he was driving. I think this is more proof that God did not want us to die than verification of my friends multi-tasking skill. I miss those trips.

We meet with a group of men on Friday morning and have done so for maybe 15 years. It is a diverse group as far as background and perspective. I have been amazed many times that 6 prayerful men can have 6 completely different perspectives and be able to quote scripture to back it up. It was during those Friday mornings when the group turned those perspectives into opinions regarding his occupation.

After “discussing” it for around 10 years he finally took the leap. In so doing, Breathe Coffee House was born. His idea was simple, in a town of diverse spiritual perspectives and frequently separated activity, a hub of common ground could exist. To top it off, he knew that counseling from a perspective of faith and unity turned into a calling. But he had to go back to school to accomplish that last part. He graduates this week after being recognized as the Outstanding Graduate Student. People around him are proud of him. I hope he knows that.

When Breathe opened it did so under a name that is related to our daughter. After she died some of her friends told us that Jordyn would remind them to “Just Breathe” during stressful times. Somehow a coffee shop counselor was unique enough that I thought he needed a unique job title, Head Grinder. He didn’t adopt it formally, but I still like it. Whatever his title, he has been telling people to “Just Breathe” ever since the lights went on.

The idea of going back to school would freak me out – please God, that is not a challenge. To do that on top of starting a non-profit coffee shop was a bit scary. But that eventually changed, to action. I have seen other friends change vocations during this same period of time. I have seen others called into ministry. Those all have patterns of obedience. My own life has seen some abrupt changes as well. God has a calling for all believers. Sometimes He wants you to make a change. He can be very persuasive.

Do you feel like you should be doing something different than you are currently? He can use you right where you are. But He can also change where you are so He can use you somewhere else.

Have you ever seen what looks like a confusing mess end up pointing in a direction you later see as His plan?

Challenge: There is no deadline to meet. The journey is often more impactful than the destination. Sometimes understanding the difference between Gods plan and just an idea we have can be tough. Seek counsel. Take the journey. If it leads to no change, have peace. If it leads to drastic change, have peace. Like my friend, you can end up doing exactly what you were put on this earth to do.

Rick Claiborn