A cafe in Madrid

I'm sitting in a cafe in Madrid. It's almost 5pm, and the last thing I ate today was a chicken wrap at 830. I'm starving, my blood sugar is plummeting, and I have a pounding headache. I felt dizzy as I walked the 2 minutes to the cafe from my Airbnb.

But at this moment, having just scarfed half a red berry cake of some sort and drained half my cappuccino,  I'm feeling reflectively grateful.

The biggest insurance event in Europe begins in 2 days, and I have a decent role to play in it. My carefully packed clothes and props for the conference have not arrived. They were not as lucky as I with the super tight connection in Munich. But as I repeated to my colleague who unexpectedly was on the same Lux to Munich flight, also with a tight connection, stressing doesn't help anything. Tonight,  I'll log into my trackers and see if they have arrived. I'll follow them hopefully to the hotel. I'm so grateful I threw a 2nd dress in my bag and packed my laptop and a few things to get me through the weekend.

The cafe is supposed to be conversations up front. There is a large sign that says don't use your laptop.  I watch a maybe 4yr old carefully choose and accept a fluffy croissant from the barista, and gingerly walk back towards his mom proudly carrying it. I'm jealous of the cinnamon rolls just placed by a barista with amazing hair on the table in front of me.  

I could have technically flown in on Saturday, but one of my high energy engineers in Madrid invited me out. So, I came in today, to spend one day in this beautiful city. I didn't have expectations, as I try to remain without any every time one of my engineers is gracious enough to offer their time, especially outside of work hours to me. To my absolute astonishment, I landed to a text that he was picking me up. I had not had the energy to think about grabbing an uber with my hoped-for giant pieces of luggage, so the text was warmly welcomed. I walked out of the baggage area to find him standing there and received the warmest welcome. I could have cried the entire crazy long due to Friday afternoon traffic home at his kindness in getting me and also pointing out the sites along the way.

To my shock, he had also arranged the entire weekend. Tonight, dinner with his partner, and two other engineers and their partners. Tomorrow, after picking up an Italian engineer and her partner, a tapas tour of the city with several others. He called a hair salon for my longed-for hair straightening. He recommended this lovely coffee shop I am now sitting in.

I remember the arduous hours in Boston. Every day, I left my home at 7AM (530 on the gym mornings) to be in my classroom at 715. I prayed over the empty rooms, turned on my hype music, and wrote a question on the Board to facilitate non work conversations before class. I always sat on the high top outside after I was done teaching, to catch people as they left. Many days, the evenings were long, as people unburdened their hearts, sobbed, doubted themselves, and generally needed a listening ear. While I was glad to sit and talk, I was always conscious that it was eating into my personal time and work commitments. But I firmly believe people over everything. There have been many instances when I have chosen to pour into people, at a personal cost.

But today: as so many other days here in Europe, my heart and now eyes are overflowing with the kindness returned to me. As the Lord promises, shaken down and overflowing. From the airport rides, to so many meals, and city tours, and arranging gatherings, and visiting me, and even just reaching out to check in on me. My kindnesses are coming back a 100x fold.

And so, I sit here. Praying my luggage actually does make it to Madrid and the hotel. Feeling the headache wane as my body absorbs the food. And killing the additional hour before I meet my kind hosts.

Audios!