Coffee Please...

Well,  another long stretch of days without new posts.  I'm happy to report that fears don't seem to be plaguing me as much lately...so I just have less to write about... and that's a GREAT feeling!  My presentation that I wrote about in my last post ended up going really well, and my take-away was: Speak from your heart.  

Part of my presentation was more of a report, filled with definitions and facts. The nerves crept in for me, but didn't consume me like they had in the past.   Later, when it was my turn to share from life experiences, and to generate discussion with the rest of the class...it was MUCH easier.  Nerves really weren't an issue at all.  Yay!  So I call that a double victory!!  #1 - I got through the situation put before me without much panic...&  #2 - I learned something about myself.  I am much more relaxed in front of a group of people if I am sharing, inviting others into a conversation, etc. 

So...that's what's happening in my life these days. Not much else to write about, so I thought for today, I would pass along a story that a friend shared with me recently, involving struggles and trials.  Not really fears, but I think looking at how we react to situations and struggles is related to how we react to fears as well...so I thought I'd share the story with you.  One filled with wisdom, & one that involves coffee...Yummo!  Anything involving coffee is awesome in my book.  Enjoy!

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A Carrot, an Egg, and a cup of Coffee ~ 

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again....

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.  Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."  "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? ________________________________________________________________________________

I think we can all take a lesson from this. Let's examine ourselves as the daughter in the story did...
Think of this: Which am I?  

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?  

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Coffee Please...that's what I would like to be.
Bless you, your week, and your journey...