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SAVOR THE COFFEE, NOT THE CUPS

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit the conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the alumni had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “Notice that all of the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups…and then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

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Now consider this:  Life is the coffee; your job, money, and position in society are the cups.

They are just tools to hold and contain Life. The type of cup one has does not define, nor change the quality of Life a person lives. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.”

God makes the coffee, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

 

Enjoy your coffee!

I WAS ONLY WAITING FOR YOU TO CALL

The boy walked along the ocean shore . . . trying not to stray.
He looked up to his father saying, “Dad, I want to play.”

His father looked upon him, with love showing in his eyes.
“Do what you want to, my son . . . but do not leave my side.”

“I would never leave you Daddy, I love you way too much.”
But the boy took a step away, out of his father’s range of touch.

He walked through the surf, the waves tickling one toe.
“If I take one more step in . . .” he thought, “Father will never know.”

His father called out to him, “Son, to me remain true!”
The boy thought with glee . . . “At the moment I don’t need you!”

His father felt a sadness, but he held his tongue.
Sometimes lessons need to be learned . . . even when so young.

The boy stepped out a little further . . . the water covering his waist.
His father spoke with urgency . . . his father spoke with haste.

“My son, come back to me,” he said, “The day is almost done!”.
“Not yet, Dad,” the boy yelled, “I’m having too much fun!”

But the boy did not have his father’s insight so he could not yet tell,
The tide was coming in fast . . . there would be no time to yell.

“Father!” he tried to scream, as the water covered his head.

“I need you now, Daddy!” was what the boy had said.

And in a single instant his father was by his side.
“I thought you left me, Daddy . . . I thought you went to hide.”

The father looked upon his son . . . a tear streaming down his cheek.
The boy looked upon his father . . . and cried the sobs of the meek.

“I would never leave you son . . . for I love you just the same.”

“I was only waiting . . . for you to call upon my name.”

MEETING GOD

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry so he offered her a Twinkie.

He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later; his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” But before her son responded, she added, “You know he’s much younger than I expected.”

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, and honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Embrace all equally!