The Barista Who Knew His Order Before He Walked In

When Marcus Chen transferred to a small branch office in Tupelo, Mississippi, he wanted nothing to do with the town. A software engineer from Seattle, he told his wife the assignment would last six months, tops. "What could possibly come out of Tupelo?" he said, half-joking, half-serious.

His colleague David kept inviting him to a neighborhood cookout. Marcus declined four times. The fifth time, David simply said, "Come and see."

Marcus showed up late, planning to leave early. But the host, an elderly woman named Mrs. Odom, handed him a plate of Korean-style short ribs and said, "David told me your grandmother used to make galbi with extra garlic. I hope I got close."

Marcus stood in that backyard, holding a plate prepared by a stranger who had taken the time to learn what mattered to him, and something inside him broke open. He stayed three hours. He stayed in Tupelo four years.

When Nathanael scoffed at Nazareth, Philip didn't argue. He said, "Come and see." And when Jesus revealed that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree — had known him before they ever spoke — Nathanael's cynicism crumbled under the weight of being truly known.

The Almighty does not wait for us to arrive before He begins paying attention. He already knows our name, our hunger, and the exact thing that will stop us in our tracks.