Faithful in the Fray

I have thirty minutes to complete a list of tasks before we open the doors at 5am.

most of the time my mind is else where but off the top of my head, 4:30-5am looks like this:

turn on the oven, clock in, turn on coffee brewer, brew ice coffee, start brewing ice teas, set timer, turn on espresso machines, rinse, grab bags for coffee, label coffee bags, *beep beep beep* teas are done, put cold water into pitchers, pour ice coffee into pitchers, grind the coffee, start brewing pike and bold, put ice into ice coffee, label teas and ice coffee, pull two shots on both espresso bars, calibrate the thermometer, grab whole milk and nonfat milk from back, pour into sure shot, label sure shot, pull two more shots, switch pike and bold for decaf and blonde, make sanitizer, grab mocha bottles, fill mocha bottles up, label, pull two shots, make sure i have white mocha, chai, soy, and all syrups, pull two more shots, grab an oatmeal with nuts and two splenda ready for 5am when the first customer arrives on the dot, assign a til on drive thru, turn headset on, *ding* “goodmorning, welcome to starbucks this is sara what can i get started for ya?”

pause.

all that. thirty minutes. not to mention the two other openers we have. what a job.

i wouldn’t trade it for anything.

my pastor has been doing a series on our passion and purpose and last night i felt like he was speaking directly to me. he asked if anyone worked in the drive thru, and as i was sitting on the front row i reluctantly raised my hand. he went on to talk about how we all love to be treated well at the drive thru, we want our order correct, and we want the people to be friendly at the window. he then went into detail about no matter where you are in your station of life, don’t just do the time but do good.

those words made me stop in my tracks.

i love my job. absolutely love it. sure, waking up at 330am isn’t ideal, but i’m so blessed to have a job. i like talking to people all day long, i like making drinks, i like working hard and seeing results, i like it when it says we’ve had 30 cars drive thru in 30 minutes.

i’m slowly discovering how i can do good in the world, more specifically in America, in georgia, at starbucks. sure, i don’t see myself here forever but i know that i am making a difference each and every day. i’ve been able to share Jesus with numerous people that have walked in, just by loving on them, not even preaching the Gospel itself.

at work i’m know as ‘sara #3 or africa sara’ and i’m perfectly okay with it. who wouldn’t want to be known as africa sara? what a wonderful name!

i know this blog is not a lot, but it’s a concept that is so simply wonderful. doing good and working hard. don’t let the Christians of the world be the lazy people of the world. put forth tremendous effort, don’t look at the clock and just go!

until next time,

sara.

I love writing. It is one of my most favorite things. I am constantly inspired to blog and when I sit down to write, I immediately want to take a nap. Maybe it’s because sitting down makes me stop for a second and my brain is convinced that even though its only 830am, its time for bed. I guess that is what happens when you wake up at 330am every morning for work.

January and so far February has gone by in a whirlwind.

I went skiing for the first time with J, his siblings and their significant others.

I said goodbye to my baby brother until May. He’s off doing the radical overseas while we’re doing the radical here in America

I spent a day in LA where I attempted to take a really hipster instagram picture while we were at in&out burger and I spilled my entire Dr. Pepper all over me.

(it’s not even that good…)

I woke up to a view that was indescribable every day for two weeks.

I played at a waterfall.

someone asked me to be their valentine for the first time ever. I took a lot of selfies with this girl.

It’s been a wonderful 2013 thus far. I’ve been going thru the motions and learning how to balance life in America. I haven’t got things all figured out just yet, I know that will come with time. I’ve had a few moments where I’ve sobbed in my car, or that one time last week where I started crying at work. I know that I’m supposed to be here, in America, and right now I’m still trying to figure out what that looks like. It’s been wonderful to be able to share with people what the Lord has so graciously allowed me to do for Him and His Kingdom. Stories have allowed me to share with people who Jesus is, and how I live unashamed. I’m blessed.

until next time.

sara.

I’ve been home from my recent trip to Uganda for 33 days now. There isn’t anything magical about this number, it just signifies the number of times I’ve gone to sleep and woken up. I haven’t stopped going since being home. Jeremy, Sandy, and Liz all came to Georgia on December, 27th for our friend Megan’s wedding. We then had an epic game night with 25 of my best friends in the world. I rang in the New Year with a few close friends and family, then went immediately into Passion Conference for four, crazy, epic, God-filled, days. I had two days to try and get as much rest as possible before Jeremy and I flew up to Pennsylvania to be with his family for a week. I started online school last week, while in Pennsylvania, or should I say… attempted school. I flew back on Saturday, went to church Sunday, and had a meeting with the doctors office and my manager on Monday. Tuesday I said goodbye to my baby brother who is off on his very own Kingdom-Filled journey to Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda for the next four months. Today, I worked my butt off in school, and packed. Tomorrow, I fly to California and then Hawaii for 16 days. I return on February 2nd, and start work on February 4th. 

Are you tired yet? Because I am.

I don’t mind keeping busy. I’ve spent 231 days out of the past year in East Africa, doing insane things. Things that sometimes I look back on, and ask myself if they really happened. Did I really sleep in a tent, not shower, and live with the Masai tribe in Kenya? Did I really see demon-possessed people in Uganda? Did I really meet the most incredible children in Tanzania? Did God really speak to me so often that I didn’t have to know which voice was mine, and which was His, because we were so in tune? Did I really see Angels worshiping with us? Did I really fight, fight for something with all that I am because I knew that we had to do what was right, no matter what? Did I really cry out to God, asking that He strip everything away, until all I had was Him? The answer? yes. I did do all those things.

I’ve had the honor to live, to live with so much resposibility that sometimes I don’t even know what to do. I’ve led 18 amazing students this past year all over East Africa. Me, Sara Elizabeth Burks. I’m just a 20 year-old. But, God allowed me, to go out, lead, to disciple, to encourage, to speak life. I failed, daily, but His grace is sufficient. His constant reminders, His whispers in the times where I felt completely alone, His arms wrapped around me when all I wanted was to be home, that is what kept me going. Seeing someone change right in front of you, walking into the person they were created to be, oh- it is the most lovely of things. All of the tears, heartache, frustration, pain… it’s all worth it when you see transformation for the Kingdom.

Yesterday as I was walking my brother down the steps and into registration at training camp, I felt peace. It was almost so overwhelming that I couldn’t say anything but I quickly saw my friend and the moment was gone. The presence of the Lord was still all around me as I met his leader, and talked to new and old friends. No longer was my heart beating fast for leaving and going out to do missions. My heart was beating fast for going back home and doing missions. I know that my season is over with overseas missions at this point in my life. I’m still fighting for those going out and being on the front lines. I will continue to fight for them. But, it’s time for a new season. A season that includes investing in my community at home, being a light at work, kicking butt at school, and anything that He might throw my way.

It’s time. And I couldn’t be more excited.

sara.

Baby brother and I the night before he left.