A Simple Cup of Joy

It was Sunday morning. And I was late for church.

Like, really late. Not to mention I had not attended in weeks, and my 15 month old was not all that interested in sleeping. Here I was, rushing to get us to church, and all I could think was ‘ I need coffee’.

These 3 words were repeating in my head as I drove to the church, and I was more then tempted to stop by my local coffee shop and grab my favourite cup of liquid happiness. Usually I wouldn’t flinch, but today, I was conflicted. Between my desire for the daily pick-me-up and my desire to be spiritually fed.

Here’s the thing. The last few weeks had been a real challenge. A lot of things in our life had popped up and frankly had tested my faith, my strength, my peace more then I liked to talk about.

I was drained.

But something told me to just go and show up, de-caffeinated, at church and risk looking like the sleep-deprived, faith challenged woman I was. So went straight to church. I lugged my baby out and dropped him off at the creche service – thank God for these volunteers!

Putting Worship First

I saw my mother worshiping her heart out and quietly took a place beside her. I stood and listened, sang a little and just closed my eyes and opened my heart, sharing everything quietly with the Creator who knew it anyway, but was waiting for me to connect with Him – to lay it all down – to be in His presence.

A few minutes later, my mother nudges me. ‘Do you want this coffee? I bought it from the café but I don’t need this much.’ I looked at her and stared. Little did she know that in that one sentence and gesture, she was affirming my faith. Literally. You would have thought I had just been given the gold ticket to Charlie and the chocolate factory… but it was a cup of coffee, and it was a message, directly from the Creator – to remind me that He saw me. And I mattered, and my desires mattered, even the little ones.

In Luke 12.7 it says: Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

When you put God first, he grants the desires of your heart – even the small, embarrassing ones you don’t really want to share.

I was able to worship God, freely, and have my latte – the best things in life in my opinion! Yes, coffee helps me show up as the magical person I like to be, but God – when you put Him first, He gives you a portion that goes well beyond a coffee cup.

Put Him first – put connecting with Him first, and I promise you, the rest will fall into place.

Article supplied with thanks to Rachel Reva at Life On Her Terms.

Feature image: Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

About the author: Rachel Reva is a PR consultant and author with a career that has spanned TV, writing, radio and politics. Born in Georgia, USA, Rachel now lives in Australia with her young family, and is heard every week on radio.