I love coffee. It is by far my drug of choice. It wasn’t always that way. As a matter of fact, once upon a time I couldn’t stand the stuff. Well, I couldn’t stand the taste. But, I always found the smell to be pleasant and inviting. Eventually, with some Starbucks and nagging, Stephen wore me down and finally won me over to the dark side. Well, not dark for me. I like it sans sweetener with extra milk or cream.
Since that time, we have become sort of coffee connoisseurs. Stephen invested in a “by the cup” machine and we like to try different roasts, flavors, etc. It’s a bit of a hobby. When we buy it by the bag, we usually store it in the freezer to keep it fresh. However, I learned the hard way that if the bag isn’t sealed well that the coffee will taste just like the freezer. On some level I already knew that could happen as I had heard a tip to leave ground coffee in a bowl in your car, a room, etc to absorb odors. So, I now make sure to keep our bagged coffee tightly sealed!
Lately, I’ve felt a bit like some coffee. It seems as though I have been absorbing the ugliness of the world these days. There is so much disease, illness, death, fear, evil and whatever else out there that it sometimes just gets overwhelming. How do we as Christians know about the trevails of the world without absorbing it ourselves? How can we care and pray and be concerned about other’s burdens without carrying them ourselves? Am I the only one that does that?
I listen to K-Love in my car. There is a song that’s been playing recently in which the lyrics say, “I don’t want to live like I don’t care.” But, is it possible to care too much? This has been a huge struggle for me lately. I do care. I do pray. But I find myself carrying the pain, sadness, worry and grief in some of these situations. And ultimately, that doesn’t do anyone any good! I don’t want to be like the coffee grounds that absorb the “yuck,” but rather someone who offers prayer and comfort like the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
So these are the questions on my heart tonight. Questions that I have no answers for. Maybe I need to heed the actions of my five year old? Nadie has such a tender heart. She is a prayer warrior! And yet, she lays it down. She lays it down at the cross with the complete faith that God has it under control. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He called us to faith like a child? Maybe Nadie can teach me something. I think I will ask her about it in the morning, over my coffee.
