The Carrot, the Egg, or the Coffee Bean
This morning, I felt at my lowest, a dear friend sent me this via private message. Her message read, "I saw this and immediately thought of you. You are the coffee bean." My first reaction was, "What are you talking about?" So I read the message she sent me (and by the time I got to the end), I was wiping back the tears.
THE STORY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS...............
A young woman found herself depressed in life, and decided to go visit her grandmother. Things had been hard, her marriage was on the rocks, her kids were a mess, the family was falling apart, she felt devastated. She didn't know what to do, or even how she was going to make it. If she looked behind, she could see God's blessings in her life. If she looked ahead, she didn't even know how she was going to make it to Sunday. At times, she felt like giving up. She was tired of fighting and struggling (trying to make everyone happy), carrying the weight of the families happiness on her shoulders. She no sooner conquered one problem (with that behind her), and three new problems would appear.
Her grandmother took her into the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on high heat. Soon the pots came to a rolling boil. In the FIRST pot, she placed some carrots. In the SECOND pot, she placed some eggs. In the THIRD pot, she placed some ground coffee beans. Then she let the carrots, eggs and coffee sit for awhile in the boiling water. "What are you doing", asked the young woman. "Wait and see", the grandmother said.
About twenty minutes later, the grandmother turned off the burners on the stove. From the first pot, she pulled out the CARROTS and placed them on a plate. From the second pot, she pulled out the EGGS and placed them on the same plate. From the third pot, she ladled the COFFEE into a coffee mug and placed it on the same plate. Turning to her grand-daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see?" The grand-daughter looked at the plate and replied, "Carrots, eggs and coffee". "Look closer", the grand-mother said. "Feel the carrots, touch the egg and taste the coffee", she told her grand-daughter. So the young woman felt the carrots, they were soft. She touched the egg, it was hard. She drank the coffee (smelled its rich aroma), and it was wonderful. "I don't understand, what are you trying to show me?", the grand-daughter replied.
The grandmother began to explain how each of the items were all placed in the same hot water, yet each item reacted differently when heat was applied. The carrot was strong and hard before going into the water, now it is limp and soft. The egg was fragile and weak, (having a thin shell which protected its liquid interior), now it is firm and hard. The ground coffee beans however were unique. Only the coffee beans changed the water. "So which are you?" the grand-mother asked. "When life's adversity and problems (the boiling water) knock at your door, how do you respond? Are you the carrot, the egg or the coffee bean?
ASK YOURSELF: Am I the carrot that seems strong at first, but with a little heat (life's adversities) do I become soft and limp? Am I the egg, seemingly fragile and weak but (when tested by heat), my heart becomes firm and hard? Or am I the coffee bean? Only the bean actually changed the hot water, it changed the very circumstance that brought about it's pain. The hotter the water got, the more flavorful the coffee bean became, releasing its fragrant flavor and aroma.
If you are like the bean (when things get touch), you will change the situation around you. In your darkest hour (when trails seem to be at their worst), will you elevate yourself and rise to a new level? Allow your fragrance and aroma to be seen by others..........be the coffee bean.
So which are you? The carrot, the egg or a coffee bean?
THE STORY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS...............
A young woman found herself depressed in life, and decided to go visit her grandmother. Things had been hard, her marriage was on the rocks, her kids were a mess, the family was falling apart, she felt devastated. She didn't know what to do, or even how she was going to make it. If she looked behind, she could see God's blessings in her life. If she looked ahead, she didn't even know how she was going to make it to Sunday. At times, she felt like giving up. She was tired of fighting and struggling (trying to make everyone happy), carrying the weight of the families happiness on her shoulders. She no sooner conquered one problem (with that behind her), and three new problems would appear.
Her grandmother took her into the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on high heat. Soon the pots came to a rolling boil. In the FIRST pot, she placed some carrots. In the SECOND pot, she placed some eggs. In the THIRD pot, she placed some ground coffee beans. Then she let the carrots, eggs and coffee sit for awhile in the boiling water. "What are you doing", asked the young woman. "Wait and see", the grandmother said.
About twenty minutes later, the grandmother turned off the burners on the stove. From the first pot, she pulled out the CARROTS and placed them on a plate. From the second pot, she pulled out the EGGS and placed them on the same plate. From the third pot, she ladled the COFFEE into a coffee mug and placed it on the same plate. Turning to her grand-daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see?" The grand-daughter looked at the plate and replied, "Carrots, eggs and coffee". "Look closer", the grand-mother said. "Feel the carrots, touch the egg and taste the coffee", she told her grand-daughter. So the young woman felt the carrots, they were soft. She touched the egg, it was hard. She drank the coffee (smelled its rich aroma), and it was wonderful. "I don't understand, what are you trying to show me?", the grand-daughter replied.
The grandmother began to explain how each of the items were all placed in the same hot water, yet each item reacted differently when heat was applied. The carrot was strong and hard before going into the water, now it is limp and soft. The egg was fragile and weak, (having a thin shell which protected its liquid interior), now it is firm and hard. The ground coffee beans however were unique. Only the coffee beans changed the water. "So which are you?" the grand-mother asked. "When life's adversity and problems (the boiling water) knock at your door, how do you respond? Are you the carrot, the egg or the coffee bean?
ASK YOURSELF: Am I the carrot that seems strong at first, but with a little heat (life's adversities) do I become soft and limp? Am I the egg, seemingly fragile and weak but (when tested by heat), my heart becomes firm and hard? Or am I the coffee bean? Only the bean actually changed the hot water, it changed the very circumstance that brought about it's pain. The hotter the water got, the more flavorful the coffee bean became, releasing its fragrant flavor and aroma.
If you are like the bean (when things get touch), you will change the situation around you. In your darkest hour (when trails seem to be at their worst), will you elevate yourself and rise to a new level? Allow your fragrance and aroma to be seen by others..........be the coffee bean.
So which are you? The carrot, the egg or a coffee bean?
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