Let's Meet for Coffee!

It's good to be back! Thank you for your patience with me, as it has been a while since my last devotion post to Fragrant Offerings. This fall, much of my writing time and energy was spent creating a brand-new women's retreat series, "My Overflowing Cup." I wrote today's devotion for you, inspired by the words and direction the Lord provided in preparation for this new retreat ministry. Look for more fun "coffee talk" in the weeks ahead.  ~Deb

Let’s meet for coffee. Oh, wait. You’re in front of your screen; I’m in front of mine, and we may even be across the country from one another, but I think we can make this work. (I know…we’re not on Skype and we’re not chatting live via Facebook, but I’m writing and you’re reading, and if you will grab a cup, I’ll do the same!) And in a sense, we’ll be “meeting” for coffee - gathering (as girlfriends in God love to do!) around a cup.

We can even call it a “coffee break!” Yes, a break. A time, if ever so brief, to sit back for rest, reflection, and refreshment. And coffee…a mere beverage? Hardly! The word “coffee” is so enticing, even if a cup of Java or Joe is not the drink of your choice. Why? Because the word “coffee” – the invitation, “let’s meet for coffee” – means so much more! (Maybe you’re enjoying a chai tea or a cup of hot cocoa or a flavored steamer right now!) For years, I was not a coffee drinker, but I rarely passed up an opportunity to “meet for coffee” when someone called. The atmosphere, the aroma, the amazing pastries behind the counter…all were enticing. And today I am a changed woman! While a black cup of Joe still doesn’t call my name, some newer creations simply SING to me! (With names like “White Chocolate Mocha” and “Vanilla Hazelnut Cappuccino” and “Creamy Caramel Latte,” how can I resist??)  

When a loved one or a friend invites you to “meet for coffee,” what she is really saying is that she wants your company, alongside that hot beverage. The conversation and camaraderie can fill and energize and refresh as much or more than the coffee in the cup after its consumption. “Coffee” is an event, an occasion, a holiday, if you will. A woman once shared with me how her family had faced years of hardship and financial struggles. As she and her husband worked tirelessly to put food on the table, there was no money left over for extras. But they kept a coin jar in the kitchen. As their small change accumulated, on rare occasion, they would delight in one treat: They would go out for a cup of coffee! I remember thinking, “Not dessert or chocolate?!” No. Coffee. The pick-me-up; the rare treat of choice for a special time together.

The Lord invites you to meet Him for a break – for a REAL pick-me-up. Even better than a coffee break with a loved one or a friend. He, too, really wants your company. He desires to spend a special time together with you. (It need not be a rare treat, but a daily delicacy!) The conversation that He initiates in His Word and the camaraderie – the friendship – that He provides in His constant presence can be more filling than any other. Just imagine what the Savior has in store for you each time you meet Him with your cup. With your cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Sure! More importantly, with the “cup” that is you – a vessel created and called by the Lord, to be filled and used for His purposes! He invites you to take a seat, put up your weary feet, and extend your “cup” to Him.  “[Jesus said,] ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28 As you find rest for your soul from the hurries and hassles of your life, you will be refreshed as you reflect upon His Truth for you, and you will be filled anew with energy and strength, purpose and direction for the day ahead. Hold out your cup to Him; He is filling it already.



As you sit down to meet your Savior for coffee, remember…

·         Arrive with a Right-Side-Up Cup! (Check first, that your cup is not turned up-side-down!) Ask for a teachable, receptive, and open heart to receive every Word of wisdom He has for you today. Then hold your cup under His steady stream of grace.

·         Sip Slowly & Drink Deeply! “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:10b As you sit with your Savior, sip His Word slowly, savoring every taste before you swallow. With every sip, you are refreshed; with every swallow, warmed and invigorated. Bring it to your parched lips and drink deeply as it flows into you. God’s divine power at work in His Word entices us in new and exciting ways each time it is read, as we receive everything we need from the One who called us and gives us life in His name! His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 NIV

·         It’s a Bottomless Cup! The beauty of drinking in God’s Word is that the more we consume, the more our cup is filled. We cannot keep up with our Savior who continually pours His grace into us. Our cups never run dry when His mercies are flowing!

      Thanks for meeting me for coffee.

      I’m going for a refill.

      How about you?

Be Still

It was a lovely little restroom, tucked between the lobby and the lounge of a beautiful resort. I had accompanied my husband to a church workers’ conference, taking advantage of a quick get-away opportunity. He was attending meetings and I was on my own, exploring the resort complex. During my stroll, I ducked into this small restroom, enjoying the relaxed pace and the welcome break from my hurried life that affected even the most basic necessities like restroom time! Uninterrupted. No one hollering, “Is dinner ready yet?” No one holding me to a schedule. No dog barking; no phone ringing; no soup boiling over on the stove.

Then, in the middle of my restroom respite, everything went black. I was surrounded by sudden and complete darkness. I couldn’t see a thing. Blinking hard, I wondered for a moment if I had gone blind. Then I guessed that perhaps the power had gone out. I sat completely still, listening for commotion in the lobby. Nothing out of the ordinary. Oh dear. What could be wrong? (And where was the toilet paper roll, anyway?) As I sat in panicked silence, my mind raced through options. Should I call out for help? How was I going to make my way out of here and to my room? If I was blind, I was going to need to learn to feel for things in the dark, right? So I slowly reached out my hand. And PRESTO! Light flooded the small room once again. The motion-sensitive lightswitch was triggered by the movement of my hand.

All at once three emotions hit me: RELIEF (I was not blind, after all!) EMBARASSMENT (I mean, really! I was panicking over a motion-sensitive light that was just doing its job.) HUMOR (For obvious reasons, the giggles hit me hard! I almost wanted to tell my story to the front desk staff. Almost.)

All this happened because I actually sat still – long enough for the lights to go out. Amazing! That would never happen at home, would it? Not likely, since 1,500 priorities vie for my attention on any given day and I must be on-the-move if I want to accomplish them all. (The only time I am completely still is when the lights are out, because it’s the middle of the night and I’m ASLEEP!) Was the Lord using my silly incident on this day to remind me to simply slow down? To redirect me to make time for the true respite that only He can give? To simply BE STILL before my Savior?

I walked to my room and pondered this. I pulled out my journal and my Bible and I began to write: “Help me to focus on You…to be still and let You speak to me…” As I sat completely still, listening for the Lord, He spoke to me through His Word. “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10) “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28)

  

Perhaps we have been on-the-move for so long that we wonder what will happen if we stop. Will the “lights go out”? Will we panic? Will we call out for help? Without God’s guiding hand upon our lives, we grope about in spiritual blindness, managing to make our way here and there as we labor, but struggling for lack of direction and failing to find rest. In His amazing mercy, our Lord Jesus calls us to come to Him. To rest in His forgiveness, in His presence, and in His Word. We reach out our hands and PRESTO! His light floods the darkness and we realize He was with us all along. He enables us to BE STILL, and He gives us rest.