Parking Meters, Coffee and Independence.

I just saw an interesting commercial that got me thinking. The 30-second spot was about a guy going around town plugging meters for people, because he saved so much money on car insurance (from Progressive, if you are wondering). That would be fun to do, don't you think?

The city of Minneapolis recently installed new parking meters, so you can pay for parking not only with cash, but also with a credit/debit card. A very cool system, I have to say. But part of me feels like advances in technology and processes like this make it a lot easier for me to watch out for myself, and rely on God, or other people, less. Not that I'm dependent on someone to randomly offer to pay my $2 to park downtown - but I think about having to ask someone to borrow quarters to pay for my parking, and how ridiculous it is that I think that I'm imposing on someone if I do that.

When I think about this example, I think of it in a grander scheme. I think of the mentality that I don't need people in my life to get by; I can provide for myself no matter what I might need- or want.

A few weeks ago, I was on my way to work and I really wanted to stop at Starbucks - but I decided not to. Soon after I arrived at work, a coworker stopped by my cubicle and asked if I had any coffee yet that day - she wanted to take me out as a thank you for helping her with something earlier in the month.

Her kind and unexpected offer, along with our chat on the way to and from the coffeeshop, was much sweeter than the actual coffee she bought me. And it was way more fun to drink coffee with someone else.

Whether it's a parking meter or a cup of coffee, an unexpected gift can really brighten someone's day. But, this isn't a post about doing random acts of kindness. It's moreso a reminder that being too concerned with meeting my own needs and fulfilling my wants leaves less room for personal interaction in my life. And more importantly, less room for God to show me how he does care about me and can meet my needs (and even how he meets my wants!).