Daily Prayers

Prayer is Love, I want to Love

Coffee Or Cup, Who Are You?

Coffee Break sign

A group of past University students, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old University Professor. Their conversation soon turned to complaints about stress in work and life.

Book Cover: Coffee or Cup

Offering his guests coffee, the Professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite — telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the Professor said: “If you notice, all the nice looking expensive cups are taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases, even hides what you drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.”

Small cup of coffee resting on saucer

“Now consider this,” he continued… “Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee, God has provided us.”


Reflection
Small yellow coloured Cross surrounded by lilies

Are you the coffee or the cup?

The way we look at life is crucial. If we want happiness, we don’t need a Ferrari or a country estate, but the basics are necessary. Our problems often start when we desire multiple cars, a mansion, holiday home… and the list goes on! When our never-ending priority is to reach the next step on the ladder of the material world, it’s likely we have lost our way.

God wants us to be rich in happiness; love ourselves, our family, his creation, today, our work… but most of all, He wants us to love Jesus, who died so we could live.

Live simply, love everyone, love Jesus.