Doing the "Java"

"Thanks! That looks amazing!" I told Maris as she handed me my lunch at one of my favorite hometown coffee shops, Bluestem Bistro, which I stubbornly continue to call by it's former name, Java. Today the music of choice playing overhead is Jamaican, creating a lively, and yet not too upbeat atmosphere. I was lucky today and was able to grab my favorite table in the back corner. I love this spot because it has a big, black table on which I can spread out my books, an outlet for my computer charger, and a good, but not too distracting view of people as they come and go.

My to-do list was to finish my section for a group paper due this week, working on a blueprint for a test, and going through today's quite time for a church Bible study. The paper for class had the topic of kangaroo care, has fascinated me as I've prepared for the paper. Kangaroo care is a holding technique between a parent and their infant with skin to skin contact. This is usually seen done with preemie infants and the effects of this care is amazing. Just last week a story was featured on MSN about a mother who held her infant who had been pronounced dead by the physician. As she held her infant she starting noticing movement and after some time the infant starting making subtle noises. It was proclaimed a miracle, through the motherly instinct to hold and cradle her infant, this mom breathed and willed life back into here baby!

In between moments of productivity I find myself distracted with conversations with friends who wandered in for coffee, study time, or hangout time with friends. Seeing the familiar faces of old friends is so comforting and reminds me how much I love that feeling of being "known" and connected. While I know that it takes time to gain these same feelings in a new town, I often find myself feeling impatient waiting for this to happen in Salina. Getting connected isn't something that just happens though, it is something that must be worked at, something to invest in. A phrase God has let run through my mind the past couple of weeks is that "you must get in to get out". At first I didn't know what He wanted me to learn from this unusual phrase, but it dawned on me while sitting here - what I invest into something will affect how much I'm able to take out of it. I need to jump in, no, dive in! While I might have been born into my social network in Manhattan, I must create my own in Salina. I need to find my own "Java" and social networks in my new home....so here I go!