Coffee is so good to me. Despite it's sweet magic in waking me up, it has been teaching me a lot recently about life and about God. God is also so good to me, and I know that it's Him that's been working through and redeeming these tragic coffee situations. So, here's my story about how a large latte with green sprinkles taught me about waiting for God's promises to come through in my life. Ephesians 3:20 (plus a little bit of 21, so that it makes sense) "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory." I recently made it into a new vocal jazz group starting up at my school, last Thursday was our first rehearsal. Usually I have an hour to go out and eat lunch, but we had rehearsal the 2nd half of lunch, so I only had 30 minutes. I thought 30 minutes would be plenty of time to drive to the coffee shop down the road, order a little lunch and a latte, and make it back in time.
I ordered soup and a small latte. When I went over to wait for my drinks I realized that the guy in front of me had ordered five drinks, including 4 lattes. Now, if you don't know, lattes done right take a couple of minutes each to make...especially if they're made right. My soup came right away, and with 10 minutes until I had to go, I realized my drink may not be made within those 10 minutes. I let my group know that I was being held up, but I really didn't want to be late to the first rehearsal. The barista was still working on the man's drinks when the time I thought I would leave came and passed. When she had a free moment before she started my drink. Frantically I explained that I was already running late and that I didn't have time to wait any longer. I asked if it would be okay if I came back after school to pick up the latte, and she said yes as I ran out the door. For the record, I made it to rehearsal right on time. I spent the afternoon thinking about my latte as my friends made fun of my coffee addiction. I ate my soup in sadness. When school was finally over, I drove back to the coffee shop. The same barista that I ran out on was still there. I had already paid for the small latte, but she asked me if I wanted a large. I said that she didn't need to do that for me. She asked again, "But do you want a large?". The inner coffee addict was screaming and leaping for joy within me as I said yes. As she was finishing the drink, she asked if I wanted whipped cream. I figured why not? She also added some sprinkles to make it extra special. As I walked to my car I started to think about what had just happened. At lunch I ordered a small latte, but I wasn't able to get it right then. I walked in after school expecting a small latte. After school I got a large white-chocolate latte with whipped cream and sprinkles. It just took time, and patience, and waiting. Isn't this exactly what God does for us, and what this verse in Ephesians is saying? There have been so many times where I have prayed and asked God to come through for me, but it wasn't right for it to come right away. Later on when the right time has come, we expect God to provide what we asked for. But God won't settle for small lattes. He wants to bless us in bigger ways. God answers prayers with abundance and surprises us with more than we asked for. Sometimes it takes patience and waiting, but in the end it's worth it because we grow stronger and God shows His love for us in a bigger and better way. He is so faithful to come through (in His timing) with immeasurable blessing. Keeping in mind, of course, that sometimes God blesses us in ways that we might not understand to be a blessing right away. I kept on thinking about the situation that had just unfolded, and I realized something else about this parallel. I'm a regular at this coffee shop. The barista knows that I am, and she probably did what she did to preserve the relationship that I have with them as a frequent customer. I'm flexible and understanding, and while what happened wouldn't have stopped me from going to that coffee shop, for some people it could've turned them away. Her gesture was most likely a way of showing the shop's appreciation for my business, and to ensure that I walked away happy. While we wait for God, some of us may grow tired of waiting. Some of us may get so frustrated that we never return to the coffee shop to get our drink, or even ever again. God knows that waiting can be really hard and that it can test the relationship that we have with Him. He blesses us with more than we ask to show His appreciation for our commitment to Him, and to make sure that we're in a right relationship with Him so that we keep coming back. Regulars in God's coffee house don't go unnoticed. They get blessed in abundance. All we have to do is ask, and wait to receive what God has in store for us. Start to expect immeasurably more, but always be humbled when God surprises you with His best. He loves you so much and He will not fail to go above and beyond in whatever way He sees fit.
1 Comment
Oam
3/5/2017 03:35:52 pm
I live this SO much!!
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AuthorMy name is Alyssa Guzman, and I love to write. That being said, this blog isn't only to ease the curiosity of my supporters, I created it to benefit me...and to reflect on my experiences and build on the knowledge that I gained while serving in Guatemala...and to share the deep and meaningful stories with you, as well as the silly (and embarrassing) ones! |