Coffee Beans and Jesus

Does coffee wake you up? Get you going? Revive you? For years I loved the smell of coffee, but couldn't stand the stuff when it hit my lips. I went my entire life disliking the popular beverage, only to find myself a few months ago acquire a taste for that rich bean like I never thought I would! It's a rather nonsensical explanation on my part that led me to start drinking it (and yes, I prefer it black!) but aside from the process of change for me, it's something I really enjoy now. Something that in the morning, especially with a newborn in the house, gets me out of the fog and tastes pretty delicious in the process!

It occurred to me this evening that Jesus is quite the pick-me-up too. You see a few minutes ago, after finally getting my two middle children down for bed, I plopped on the couch to put in my latest red envelope arrival (that would be a Netflix movie for you non-reds!). Well, over the past few weeks with being so busy with the new baby, my devotion and meditation time has suffered a bit; frankly any me time has been hard to come by as you can imagine. I thought about taking that time to pray, read, or journal, but I really wanted to watch that movie! After all, I only have an hour or two before I need to crash for bed.

So I decided that I'd at least take a few minutes to pray before I started the movie. After all, if I throw God a few minutes first then I wouldn't feel guilty about watching that movie right? :)

That's when it hit me all over again; the difference between a religion and a relationship. Some roll their eyes when I say those words, but until you experience it, you just won't understand. All these past months and years building our relationship has laid a foundation that is beyond words to describe. In the quiet of my basement, I closed my eyes, opened my heart to Him, and begin to talk and ask Him in. So quickly He filled up my heart with joy, peace, and excitement beyond anything that a coffee bean can do to me in the morning. Suddenly that movie was out of my mind and the desire to simply sit, talk, relax, and reflect with Him was consuming me.

I'll have another chance to watch that movie, but for now, I'm going to spend some more time with Him. Know that I will be praying for many of you by name, and anyone who happens to read these words over the next hour. I pray you come to know Him more through your own journey. Pray, talk to Him, build that relationship; He is the way ...

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12 ESV)

His,
~Matthew