Coffeeholics

“Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee.”  ~Author Unknown

 I love coffee and so does my former office partner Deacon Jerry.  Before his retirement we would occasionally walk to the Coffee Bean for a quick “cup of Joe”.  People-watching is one of my favorite pastimes while I wait in line. It is fascinating to hear the many requests made for every possible combination of ingredients and preparation processes.   Even more interesting however, is the variety of expressions, postures and exclamations as my fellow coffeeholics take their first sip in the morning.

One particular morning I noticed a rather well dressed, carefully coifed, middle-aged woman in business attire seated near the window.  Slowly she took her first sip of the dark brown elixir.  Then she carefully placed her cup on the table, tilted her head back, faced heavenward, closed her eyes and, with what approximated religious rapture, muttered, “Oh, thank God”.  If she was truly praying to a God at the time, I’m sure his name was STARBUCK. 

In point of fact, just as we should thank God for everything in our lives, we should thank Him for that morning “jump start fluid” many of us crave.  Our coffee comes from countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras and Uganda.  Harvesting requires a great deal of manual labor as the coffee berries have to be hand picked.  The berries are then roasted, stored, bagged, ground, repackaged, shipped and stocked.  Just imagine the number of people who labor long and hard, many in third world countries, to bring us our coffee.  Not to mention the counter chemist who creates that special customized concoction just for us. 

Yes, the lady had it right, though she probably didn’t realize it at the time.  We should take a moment to pray to God to thank Him for our cup of coffee every morning and for the health and well-being of all the people it took to get it to us.  What a great way to get started in the morning – even if it takes a double macchiato, with a shot of caramel, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles. Yuk!  I’ll take mine black, thank you.

Dear God, remind me that everything and everyone is a gift from you. 

Conscience keeps more people awake than coffee.  ~Author Unknown 

©2009 and 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

“90 Second Stewardship” is a reflection on being a Christian Steward in a secular and sometimes harsh world. This reflection is written by James E. Carper of Simi Valley, California. All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.