A Lesson in Coffee
December 8, 2020 by Kim Stokely
Filed under Humor, Stories
By Kim Stokely –
I am not a morning person. Never have been and barring an act of God, I probably never will be.
Oh, I can get up, I can technically function, but please don’t ask me to hold a lucid conversation or think about anything difficult. Difficult means anything requiring more than two steps in the thought process. Putting on my slippers, that I can do. Shuffling into the kitchen to let the dogs out, that’s pretty taxing, but I can usually handle it. Fortunately for me, my husband and children know that I improve vastly if I’m left alone until I’ve had a cup of coffee to spark the synapses in my brain.
The other morning, I woke up foggy and exhausted after an unusually busy week. I got my slippers on and let the dogs out. I smiled to myself, glad to have accomplished so much already on a Saturday morning. Things had gone so well, I decided to attempt more. I puttered around the kitchen and got a pot of coffee brewing. Finding the house still quiet I sat down to do something I hadn’t done in awhile—read my Bible.
A few minutes later, my nose tingled as the distinct aroma of fresh coffee wafted into the living room. I dragged myself back to the kitchen and grabbed the carafe. After pouring the coffee, I emptied a packet of sweetener and searched the fridge for the creamer. A dollop later and I was ready to let the beverage revive me.
One sip told me I had made a big mistake. I spit the disgusting mouthful into the sink and grabbed the carton of creamer from the counter. I groaned as I took a good look at it− egg substitute. I dumped the rest of my mug away, placed the offending product back in the refrigerator, double checked to make sure the next carton I picked up was half-and-half, and made up a new cup of coffee.
I thought about what happened as I returned to my Bible. If we’re not paying attention we can easily allow the wrong things to slip into our minds and hearts. Being a disciple of Christ doesn’t mean we can go through the motions of Christianity, it means being vigilant in all areas of life so we don’t find ourselves in compromising situations. But if we do stumble, we can pour our mistakes out to God. He is always willing to let us try again.
And note to self: Have my husband make the coffee when I’m tired.
Kim Stokely has toured throughout the country in a one-person musical about women in the Bible. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and a variety of creatures including: two teenagers, two dogs, a parakeet and a legless lizard. Her stories have been printed in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Vista, and Writers’ Journal and she invites you to visit her website @ www.kimstokely.com to read her award winning short story, Bingo.
Great analogy about guarding our hearts & minds – God whispers and the world is LOUD! Choosing our inner circle & friends – those we surround ourselves with – is also of utmost importance.
LOL! I’ve never been a coffee drinker and maybe now I’m glad! Great story — thanks for sharing your wisdom on coffee and God!
Amen, Julie!
Like they say, “God is in the details,” or in your story, the refrigerator.
I had to laugh over the egg/cream confusion. Who doesn’t make the wrong complement choice at times? I’m pretty sure by now, that sometimes the Good Lord just likes a laugh.
Thank you for sharing this coffee story, a way to perk up our Christian lives.
Good words about The Word, Kim. Call it vigilance, mindfulness, or attentiveness, we have to use it to make our way through the world with God.
It also reminded me of Eph 6 and the exhortation to STAND! It’s so easy to let your guard down. So much of our time is in the “world” and our values get so influenced by stuff that is just not reflective of our great God. Why is it so hard to choose His good stuff over yukky stuff that doesn’t satisfy. If only it really tasted as bad as that coffee. Egg in your coffee? I hope I never find out!
I don’t know why we think the stuff of this world can satisfy our souls more than God and his perfect will for us. But each day we have to pay close attention to what we let influence us. I, too, hope you never find out how bad egg in your coffee is!