Coffee

The first sips of coffee were in me, and I was starting to feel the energy and peace they bring. Yes my coffee brings me peace. I am in a difficult spot right now. One of those times when people say to me, “I don’t know how you do it all!” and I want to scream in a almost psychotic voice, “I don’t! I don’t! I’m losing my mind.” I won’t bore you with the specific details of the stress, but suffice it to say that I am stretched beyond my flexibility in every area of my life. I awoke this morning feeling like I had run a marathon in my sleep. I did not get ANY rest or recovery from that night’s sleep! I was walking around in a fog trying to get my day started. Finally the pot was done, and the magic began.

First the smell of the coffee started hitting me. It beckoned me away from my stress and called me to come pour myself a cup. Just the sight of that precious liquid filling my cup helped my heart beat slow and my shoulders relax a little. I stirred in the cream and sugar and took joy in the caramel color that developed. As I lifted it to my face I breathed deeply of the intoxicating aroma. Then the moment arrived, that moment when I got that first sweet taste of that blessed nectar from God. Before I knew it that coffee was doing its job, it was coursing through my veins and bringing energy to my sleep-deprived body.

I am sure that as you read this many of you are thinking, "Dear God this girl is ADDICTED to coffee." I am. I am woman enough to admit it. Last week we returned home from staying at my parents' house and found I had forgotten we were out of coffee. It was about 9 p.m., and we were FRIED! We had spent a week living out of someone else's house and caring for my elderly grandmother. Yet still I made John run to Piggly Wiggly to get coffee for I was starting to get a little sketchy thinking about how I'd weather the morning without any.

You know I want to be like that about God. I want to be so addicted to Him that the thought of one morning without an encounter with Him is unbearable. I want to anticipate His aroma. I want to hear Him beckoning me away from my stress. I want the mere thought of Him to help slow my breathing and relax my shoulders. I want to take joy at my first glimpse of Him, and I want Him to course through my veins bring energy to my stress-ridden soul.

Well, now I can't wait until tomorrow morning! As I brew my coffee I'm going to think about God. As I smell its aroma I am going to allow my mind to be pulled to Him. Do it along with me. As you inhale that first breath of freshly brewing coffee say good morning to God. Then as you sip in that beautiful brew, sip in some peace from Him. Let Him be what gets your heart pumping tomorrow morning. Let Him be better than Starbucks!