The carrot, the egg, and the cup of coffee by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=487

The carrot, the egg, and the cup of coffee

Intro. This past week I had something that stunned me bit for a while. Even though we all experience things that may shock us, and even disappoint us, sometimes it has more of an effect on us. Sometimes it’s wake up call or even a hurtful blow.

When I received a tidbit of information this past week, I have to admit it was a blow. I was not proud of my reactions. I didn’t get angry or anything like that, I just remember thinking that it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. (Probably because I got the news after eating a big breakfast.)

With all my faith in God, and knowing that I truly trust in Him and His providence I still allowed myself to get a bit discouraged and a bit down. Well at least for five or six hours.

It was the day I had planned to start working on a sermon for Sunday. I attempted to write something but I just couldn’t do a thing. I went to the internet for some ideas but everything I read seemed blurry and insignificant. I shared my disappointment with my wife and she tried to encourage me with her own faith and helped some, but in my gut I still felt a bit blue. So I decided to do something else. I decided to start going through the piles of paperwork in my office, cleaning, organizing and getting rid all kinds of stuff.  As I did this I remember going to God in prayer and I apologized for letting myself get so disturbed. I told Him that I trusted Him, telling Him that I knew that He would take care of my needs. I also remember telling Him that I needed some help coming up with a sermon idea for Sunday.

As I was going through a pile of papers about 3 or 4 inches thick, I came across a story that I must have printed out from the Internet a while ago. Not remember seeing it before I set it aside until I finished going through the pile chucking out papers left and right. After I was done and before I threw out this story I decided to read it. In a matter of minutes somehow God turned my attitude around 180 degrees and left me with a happy peaceful feeling inside. He also gave me a sermon idea which I had asked for.  I’d like to share the story with you. Maybe some of you heard it before:

A carrot. an egg, and a cup of coffee…

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed a carrot, in the second she placed an egg, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrot out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the egg out and placed it in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.” “A Carrot, an eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrot. She did and noted that it was soft and mushy. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity; the boiling water. But each reacted differently:                                          

•The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

•The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its soft liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.                                                                                                  

•The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.  

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Ask yourself this: Which am I?                                                                         

•Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength and go moping around?

•Am I the egg that starts with a soft heart, but then changes with the heat? Did I have a soft heart, but after
a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff inside? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside have I become hard hearted and tough with a stifled spirit?                                                                                                         

•Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brought the pain. When the water got hot, it released the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, the best part of yo comes out, and somehow you change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

She went on to tell her daughter “May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.”

For some reason this little story opened my eyes. I don’t ever remembering reading it before and really don’t remember printing it out. I believe God had me print it out and save it for the day I needed it.

I asked myself, ‘What are you going to end up like, the carrot, the egg, or the coffee?’

It was what I needed to hear. The rest of my day went great. I felt good. I became happy and even excited. And I praised God, because even though I may say it a lot, and preach about it a lot, in my gut I knew that He really is in control and has my best interest in mind. And that gave me a sense of peace in my heart and mind.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says that we should “Trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your path straight.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve come to realize that my ability to understand everything is flawed, and not always dependable. I really need to trust in the Lord. And then he goes on and writes, ‘In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.’ Some other translations say, “He will give you success.” or, “He will make your path smooth,” or, “He will show you the right way.”  

What more could you ask for? 

In 1 Peter 5:6-8, Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

God really does care for you and me. Believing that makes all the difference in the world. But then Peter goes on to warn us that our enemy, the devil, prowls around looking for those whom he can devour. And which animals do the lions pray upon first? Those who are weak.

When things bad happen and you start to get down, asked yourself if you really trust God.

Ask yourself if you really believe He is control and is going to take care of you?

Ask yourself, “How am I going to let this effect me? Am I going to fall apart like a overcooked piece of carrot? Am I going to become hard hearted like that boiled egg?  Or will I let this situation bring the very best out of me; because of my faith, and my assurance in God.  Do you want to experience His peace?  Become like those coffee beans.