Monday, December 29, 2008

Meaningful Monday


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 inside 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?


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?


Or 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?




May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.


May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!



9 comments:

Lanny said...

I did not think it was possible for me to like coffee any more than I do already. But you are right, I will never look at coffee the same way again and I hope that I am smart enough to think about this terrific bit of wisdom every time I sip my coffee in the morning, or my tea in the afternoon.

Thank you very much for this really good exhortation to be "coffee".

the voice of melody said...

A friend shared this with me a couple of years ago and it's one of those things one reads and really ponders over. Such wisdom. Thanks for posting it! :)

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I don't only want to be coffee, I want to be rich, dark, bold Colombian brew!

Love your new Winter look. :o)

A happy, healthy, prosperous and blessed New Year to you and yours, sweet Jo.

Much Love,

Diane

Juli said...

(((((((((((((((Jo)))))))))))))) what a wonderful tale !

A Merry Blessed New Year My friend :)

KathyB. said...

I would hope I am coffee, I do so love a cup of good coffee...but probably, without the work of God and the Holy Spirit in my life, I would most definitely be the carrot...

Baba said...

What great words of wisdom to read as I am sitting here and drinking my coffee....I guess that I am like an egg... hard shelled on the outside whenever a situation arises that will carry be through it!!!

Have a "happy new year' and a great 2009.. Baba

Flower said...

I came over from the suggestion of Lanny! What a sweet and thoughtful post! Thanks!

Andrea said...

I stopped by via a comment on my blog from Flower. Love, love, love this post!! :) And I'm totally digging the country tunes playing. So glad I stopped by...I will be visiting often. :)

Marla said...

Lanny directed my to your blog. Loved the story. I love coffe, I know that I am coffee. I have many tough times lately. I pray for strength, my heart is soft, and I try to stay positive. I just lost my husband in Sept. so this was a great story for me.