A friend of mine challenged me a few weeks ago in a BIG way. His name is Josh. I’m not sure he set out to challenge me. It wasn’t one of those annoying “I know better” kind of things. It was a humble admission, an indirect challenge that rocked me.

You see, he runs a community cafe in Ocoee, FL called HOUSE BLEND CAFE. They serve great coffee and great food there. They also cultivate community in an attempt to unite people to serve the great community where they are located.

They are located at a very busy intersection in Ocoee just west of Orlando. There is a homeless camp across the street. One guy in particular who sleeps in that camp used to frequent the cafe. A little over two months ago, he was murdered across the street in the woods. It gripped us all. Especially Josh.

Josh’s response was rivotting. He said, “That guy has been in here a lot. I’ve served him. But I haven’t really served him where he lives. I’ve made up my mind. I’m crossing the street.”

May we all be willing to surrender our comforts and cross the street. No matter how dangerous. There’s abundant life there, when we live beyond self, when we cross the street.