This Building Is Alive #7: Diana Sitzman
As part of celebrating our 5th anniversary, someone who is part of Everyday Joe’s will write something about it each month. Anything from essays to sonnets to interpretive dance. How interpretive dance would translate to this blog, I’m not sure…but it’d be interesting.
Whatever is written, it will come from the life that is in this building. 144 S. Mason seems to be alive and breathing…and it is something you can’t ignore when you walk in. Lucky no. 7 comes from the heart of Diana Sitzman- long-time EJ’s volunteer, coffee goddess, avid reader, world traveler, and a fantastic cook. We love her very much.
There’s some social theory about the importance of third places, I think the main point being that our contemporary society tends to lack somewhere to go other than work and home (first and second place). We should all have a place where our social needs are met and we can be involved in our community.
Everyday Joe’s is my third place.
I remember on my very first day there, one of the other volunteers said I’d love it because it’s just like “Cheers,” and every day since then I’ve seen how much truth lies in that claim. I do love it, that’s undeniable. Why? Because sometimes, I really do just want to go where everybody knows my name and is genuinely glad I came.
I’m a good example of how God knows us better than we know ourselves and will provide accordingly. I’ve never been too socially needy and quite content being by myself, but I can’t deny that it’s nice to be known as a distinct person, not just another customer or co-worker. It’s so encouraging for me to look back at the past 3 ½ years and realize that in one way or another, Everyday Joe’s has served as the answer to almost every prayer I’ve ever prayed, and I’d wager that approximately 90% of all the really great things in my life are as a result of my involvement there.
This building is alive because God is alive and moving in it. It brings people together and fosters community in a way that no other church or coffee house in town does. But it’s also an instrument of change within individuals, and has a pretty profound impact on who many people are becoming, not just myself. It’s, a place to be challenged but also supported; a place of joy, of play, of rest; a place to love and be loved.
Every time I walk into the building (or even just think about it) I know God likes me, because I’m allowed to be a part of this phenomenon.
Further:
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