by Michelle Welch
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.”
1 Peter 1:6 (NLT)
There’s an old saying about sometimes I wake up cranky–the rest of the time I let him sleep! Well my sweetheart will tell you it’s exactly the opposite at our house. Sometimes he wakes up cranky–but usually he lets me sleep! I am NOT a morning person. There have been times in my life when getting up in the morning was a requirement of my job for my “mommy” years. But now that I have headed into the backside of fifty, I no longer see a reason to get up with the birds. Or the dogs, cats, husband, customers, or any other person who wants to ruin my perfectly good sleep. I even open my shop later in the morning just so I can wallow in my morning routines. Oh I have sooooo perfected that ability to wallow.
My first moment of bliss each morning comes with the sound of the most amazing invention ever that resides on my kitchen counter. My Keurig coffee maker is such a marvel of machinery and magic. I press a button, pop in a plastic container, and in minutes, sweet bliss fills my special coffee cup. It’s twice the size of regular cups and I fill it to the brim each morning. Some mornings I want dark, bold, spicy coffee. Other mornings a mixture of sweet, chocolate goodness in on my list. It even brings my favorite tea to my cup with the push of a button. My sweetheart can tell you that I am not at my best until I have pushed the button on that Keurig. He will also tell you that it is my bestest friend from NC that got me hooked on that coffee maker. After listening to her talk about it, I had to see for myself if it was as wonderful as she said. All I can say is that it has made me like mornings so much more! Is it the height of ridiculous laziness? Absolutely! Without a doubt! I mean really! Coffee makers are about ten bucks. Coffee is pennies a cup. Often the cup cost more than the coffee. But at this point in my life I have decided that some things are just worth having. And since I don’t own a Starbucks, I have the next best thing! Of course, if you ask my sweetheart, he would tell you that it would be nice if I had splurged on something useful…..like say an iron or lessons on how to make the cats clean up after themselves.
My second moment of bliss is one person who has been able to get me up early. I met Him last year. His name is God and he is my Abba. My Adonai. There are days when I almost leap out of bed, eager to speak to Him. Longing to read His words. Wanting to share in my quiet time with Him. I created a beautiful garden outside that brings me even closer to Him. My sweetheart has worked magic out there, keeping the yard tidy and making it a place of peace and enjoyment. We sit out under the magnolia tree as often as we can in the mornings. Birds and gecko’s join us along with whatever other creatures are up and about at that unseemly hour. The neighbor shouts her hello when she goes out to get in her car for work. The sun warms us as we delve deeply into God’s words for the day. On days when we can’t go outside, my sweetheart found a beautiful kitchen table. It’s a warm brown tile topped table with comfortable chairs that sits right up next to our kitchen picture window. We can stay warm or dry or sometimes both and enjoy the world outside our window.
I thought this morning how my mornings with God and with my sweetheart are a lot like my coffee maker. (well it made sense in my head anyway) Some mornings I want strong bold words from my devotions. I need to feel the power and strength from the Holy Spirit. My heart cries out for the double espresso with an extra shot of flavor. Other mornings I am in the quiet reflective mood. Sweet words that fill my soul with gladness and hope. But sometimes I am not even in the mood for words. I need music of praise and worship to lift and change the moments of my morning. To hear the words of other Christians who fill that empty cup I bring to the table. So bring along your cup each morning. Open God’s word and let him fill you up with the sweetest most amazing moments of bliss that you have ever encountered. And then go out and buy a Keurig. You can’t go wrong with that combination.
Copyright © 2013, Michelle Welch, Breath of Life Ministeries, All rights reserved. Originally published 11/19/2010, Scripture taken from New Language Translation Bible, Photography by Michelle Welch.
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