Earl Traveler Makes Coffee

Welcome to the podcast! Today we're headed back to Camp Bee for another adventure with everyone's favorite Sojourners, Earl and Pearl Traveler.

Most of us have volunteered for a job that seemed simple enough at the time. After all, how difficult could it be? That's exactly what Earl thought when he volunteered to make coffee for the Thursday night potluck at the Lodge.

The old coffee maker had been replaced with a state-of-the-art machine loaded with buttons, menus, voice controls, and enough technology to launch a space shuttle. What followed was a hilarious lesson about counting the cost before taking on a task and appreciating the friends who come alongside us when things become more complicated than expected.

So grab a cup of coffee, preferably one brewed by someone other than Earl, and enjoy today's story, "Earl and the Coffee Machine From the Future."

Transcript

0:05

Hello, fellow Scojojourners. I'm your host, Dave Leighton, and welcome to Travel with a Purpose, a podcast designed to keep Stowjourners and friends informed, entertained, and inspired. Now everyone knows that the daily devotional at Camp B is a special time. But another very special time is Thursday evening's potluck dinners. During this time, sojourners and friends gather in the lodge to enjoy some incredible dishes, wonderful fellowship, laughter, and of course, a rousing game of hand and foot. Well, it didn't take long for Earl and Pearl to discover this special event. And of course, Earl wants to help in any way he can. He's not much of a cook, but he did learn to make coffee over his career as an Air Force master sergeant. In fact, there might be some who said his greatest skill was making coffee. Well, times have changed and technology takes great leaps forward, even in coffee making. Let's look in to see what happened when Earl volunteered to make coffee for the Thursday night potluck. When Earl Traveler volunteered to make the coffee for the Thursday night potluck at Camp Bee's Lodge, he figured he was accepting one of the easiest jobs on the property. How hard can it be? Earl said confidently. I've been making coffee longer than some of these green dots have been alive. The old coffee maker in the lodge had finally been replaced with a brand new high tech automatic machine. It was shiny, chrome plated, and covered with more buttons than the dashboard of Earl's Motor Home. A note taped to the front read Welcome to the Smart Brew 5000. Touch screen activated, voice controlled, and Wi-Fi enabled. Earl stared at it. It makes coffee and checks email. Well, the following Thursday afternoon, Earl marched into the lodge, determined to master the machine before potluck began. As Earl approached the coffee machine, the touch screen lit up. Welcome, user, it said. Earl jumped. It knows I'm here. The machine asked. Please select your beverage. Earl poked the screen. Nothing happened. He poked harder, but still nothing. Finally he jabbed it with enough force to nearly push the machine off the counter. About that time Charles Shelton walked by. Earl, it's a touch screen. You touch it gently. Don't be an agitator. Earl nodded as if he knew that all along. Well, that's exactly what I was doing. Charles smiled and continued on his way. After several attempts, Earl managed to reach the menu. The machine asked. Would you like regular, bold, French roast, Columbian, breakfast blend, dark mountain sunrise, or artesian heritage reserve? Earl blinked. Just coffee. The machine waited. Earl waited. The machine waited. Evidently it doesn't speak Southern. Eventually he selected something that sounded like coffee. The machine then asked, would you like a small, medium, large, extra large, travel mug, conference size or fellowship hall size? Earl selected fellowship hall size. The machine responded. Excellent choice. Well thank you, Earl said proudly. The machine screen then appeared. Please confirm. Earl hit confirm. Another screen appeared. Please reconfirm your confirmation. Earl sighed. Sting was designed by committee. Twenty minutes later he finally reached the brewing stage. The machine began making noises that sounded like a jet engine preparing to take off. It had whistles and beats and grinding and hissing and flashing blue lights, and a flashing green light. Then a voice announced Brewing in Progress. About that time Joel walked into the lodge. Earl, everything okay? I think so, Earl replied. If smoke starts coming out, unplug it. Several sojourners began drifting into the lodge to help set up for the potluck. They watched the machine perform what appeared to be a complicated scientific experiment. And then Rob Carr looked at the screen. Earl, why does it say you're brewing twenty four gallons? Earl froze. Twenty four gallons? The machine happily replied. Estimated completion time one hour and twelve minutes. The room erupted in laughter. Apparently, Earl had accidentally selected Sojourner workshop capacity. With help from several amused volunteers, the program was canceled and restarted. This time the machine successfully produced a reasonable amount of coffee. Everyone cheered. Feeling victorious, Earl decided to test another button. That proved to be a mistake. Suddenly the machine announced language changed to Swedish. The screen became completely unreadable. Nobody knew how to change it back. For fifteen minutes a group of experienced sojourners stood around the machine offering expert opinions about buttons they had never seen before. Finally, Sally Crossley found the settings menu and restored English. The room applauded. As potluck guests began arriving, the coffee was finally ready. People filled their cups and smiled. It's good coffee, someone said. Excellent coffee, another agreed. Earl folded his arms proudly. Of course it is. Earl looked at Helm. You realize six people helped you make it. Earl nodded. That's called leadership. The potluck was a great success. At the end of the evening, Charles thanked everyone who had helped, and a special thanks to Earl for handling the coffee, he said. Earl stood and gave a small bow. You're welcome. Earl shook her head. Just promise me one thing. What's that? Next Thursday, let somebody else make the coffee. Earl grinned. Agreed. I've already volunteered to operate the new smart thermostat. The entire room groaned. Well, Earl learned that enthusiasm is a wonderful thing, but wisdom reminds us to understand a task before jumping in with both feet. The Smart Brew five thousand looked like a simple coffee maker, yet it required more knowledge than Earl expected. Thankfully, the help of friends turned a potential disaster into a success. Before taking on a responsibility, it's wise to count the cost, learn what is required, and seek help when needed. By the way, that reminds me a bit about what Jesus said in Luke 14, 28. He said, For which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it. Well, I know our Lord didn't have coffee making in mind when he said this, but the principle of preparation is still a good idea. Whether serving it can't be, helping with a service project, volunteering to make coffee for a potluck. We honor God when we prepare carefully, understand what is involved, and recognize when we need assistance. Planning ahead can save us from brewing twenty four gallons of coffee when all we needed was one pot. Well, thanks for listening to this podcast. I invite you to subscribe and share it with others. I'm your host, Dave Leighton, and remember we glorify God as together we travel with a purpose. Happy sojourning.