Why I Do It

I am exhausted. I sat down only once between 11 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. today. I just got home from work, and have to ride my bike back there in six hours.

But I am glad to be doing what I'm doing and here is why:

Today two older, professorly-looking gentlemen came in at lunch time. They each ordered a beer to sip while looking over the menu. I told them "Good choice--it's my favorite!" I handed them each an Old Stock Ale and one said to the other, "Let's just belly up to the bar here--a good beer and a friendly waitress will help to alleviate any stress!"

This week I got to treat my friends Leslie and Ember to desserts when they came by to eat. I also bought a cookie for Mary Pipher, a famous Nebraska author who I served lunch to yesterday. I didn't buy her a cookie because she is famous or a writer. I bought her a cookie because she is kindly mentoring my friend who is a young single mother. I appreciated her kindness to my friend.

The owner of the restaurant I work at calls me his Beer Pastor. Each Friday and Saturday night, after he's done cooking and baking all day, he sits at the bar, as tired as I am now, and says, "Pastor, preach me a sermon!" I am good at choosing beer. He always lets me choose what he will drink. By the end of my "sermon" he often hugs me and says "That was a good sermon, pastor!" Tonight I poured him a special Belgian Abby Ale made by monks and after he'd finished, when I asked if he'd liked it, he hugged me and said "That was such a good sermon, just hold me, Pastor, hold me!"

Yesterday I quit my job. I gave my two weeks' notice because I am moving southward, where winter will not come with such bluster and force. And my co-workers, many of whom know me well and care for me, are very sad to see me go. But they are glad for me too, and encourage me, and are excited that I am doing something real and risky and good with my life. That is generous of them--to have such hope and good wishes for me. I love them, and will miss them, and my job, and Lincoln, Nebraska, a place I really love.

But I will not miss getting up at 5:30 to ride my bike to work in the cold!