Let's Have Coffee

God lives in a cup of coffee.

I know. People think I'm strange when I tell them that.  I really do believe it though.  

Some people drink coffee.  It is nothing more than a tool to be used to gain the beloved awake/alert status.  Some people don't even like it, but they NEED it.  They are the ones who will say things like, "Decaf coffee is like non-alcoholic beer."  

I grew up in a house where, if there wasn't coffee either already made or in the process of being made, it was because we were all asleep, my parents were too sick to make it, or we weren't home.  That may be a slight exaggeration, but not by much; I used to tease my dad about just getting himself an IV to make it easier on himself.

I was told all the time when I was little that coffee would stunt my growth, but that never stopped me from sneaking sips when my parents "weren't looking" or when I was asked to get them refills.  There was one day of the year that we were allowed to have an entire cup of coffee of our own to drink: Christmas morning.  When we turned 16 it was a right of passage to be allowed to drink coffee.

Coffee isn't just a beverage.  It is an art and should be treated as such.  An art that is, quite frankly, dying in our world.  It's the art of conversation, of relationship.  I've been known to "infect" my friends with the "coffee bug".  Neither my hubby nor a dear friend of mine ever touched the stuff until I came into their lives.  But now... they have both learned to savor the moments that reside in a cup of coffee (and even the beverage itself).  Because coffee represents so much more than just a drink.

Coffee is warm and inviting.  It's the finest form of hospitality and comfort -- the one thing that you're guaranteed to be offered at my house, no matter how unexpected or last minute your arrival.   It's two friends sitting across the table from one another and understanding each other.  It's a walk on a cold day, hand in hand with the person you love.  It's a quiet moment of peace and tranquility by yourself in the early morning (or late afternoon or middle of the night) hours.  It's laughing, crying, living, and loving.  All of this with or without words.

And God is there.  No matter what religion you ascribe to; it's in those moments of pure perfection that God resides.  There are as many types of coffee today as there are types of people.  Whether you're a "chai-mocha-latte-cino with whipped cream" or a "coffee -- black as midnight on a moonless night" kinda person, take a moment to savor your next cup fully.  

Maybe you will even find where God lives.