Carrot, Egg, A Cup of Coffe

My friend sent me this one today. You may have seen this one, if not, it's worth the read...

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

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

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 carrots, in the second she placed eggs, 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

carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and

placed them 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.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She

did and noted that they were soft. 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: boiling water. 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 liquid interior, but

after sitting through the boiling water, its inside 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?'

Think of 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?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the

heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a

financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and

stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and

tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot

water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water

gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the

bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and 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?

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.

Note from me : )
I couldn't let go of my past, my "hurts", my failures w/o the help from my Creator (and my encouraging girlfriends who keep me real!). I still have my days where I am an egg. God's working on me to be coffee ; ) I'm thinking a frothy cappuccino, but anyway I digress, the point is we all are works in progress. Always know you do not have to be a carrot or egg. You have a choice.
“Here I stand, knocking at the door. Whoever hears me calling and opens the door, I will enter their house, have supper with them and they with me" (Revelation 3:20).