Thursday, September 13, 2012

Breakfast. Ahhh ... Memories

It is a beautiful September morning and I find myself at the breakfast table.  As I partake of my hard-boiled eggs, raisin bread toast, green grapes and coffee (you cannot forget the coffee) I find my mind reminiscing about moments passed with great friends over the breakfast table.

Back when I was going to Bible school, a group of friends that were formed by a desire to follow God found themselves sleeping in and gaining weight but we were determined to stop the downward spiral and change our habits.  Jamie, Carl, Sean and myself started getting up each morning and headed down for a quick workout before showering and heading to the school cafeteria for what was arguably the best meal of the day.  We all seemed to gravitate to the same things and I specifically remember Jamie with his fried eggs (left the yokes for last) and me with my hard-boiled eggs.  When he mixed it up however (quite literally) I will never forget the amount of butter he would put on hard-boiled eggs to create almost an egg salad with just eggs, butter, salt and pepper.  However, it was so much more than the way that Jamie ate his eggs.  The conversations we had and the dreams we shared are still treasured today.  The way we encouraged one another and just listened to what the other person was going through.  Breakfast.  Ahhh ... Memories.

Fast forward to Dave and Michelle's kitchen and coming down for work in the morning to the smell of fresh ground coffee percolating in the coffee maker with the craft which always leaked when pouring my morning cup.  In my humble opinion, there is nothing better than a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, however, it was so much more than a cup of coffee.  On countless occasions Michelle and I would share our victories and our concerns over a cup of coffee as we dreamed of a better day ahead but relishing in a God that had brought us through so much.  Breakfast.  Ahhh ... Memories.

As I watch the sun rise over the trees this morning, I remember great breakfast moments with people that I care about.  But in those thoughts, I was challenged with this: Why not say a quick prayer for those people today?  I do pray for family and friends, but often I find that when I am getting ready in the morning and especially when I am enjoying breakfast, my thoughts are mostly on me and what is my plan of action for the day.  But now I have a choice: Do I accept this challenge or do I ignore it and just keep my daily routine.  I would love to say that this is an easy choice, but it is one thing to say that I accept the challenge, but it is another thing to actually do it.  I hope I'm up for the challenge.  Breakfast.  Ahhh ... Memories.

1 comment:

  1. I think God might be trying to tell me something. I got this in one of my devotionals today:

    Bring Out the Best

    TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
    “...love is kind...”
    (1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV)

    TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria
    One translation of today’s simple verse says that “love looks for a way to be constructive.” In other words, love looks for ways to improve someone else’s life. Love brings out the best in other people. Don’t just get up in the morning thinking about yourself or how you can make your own life better. Think about how you can make someone else’s life better. Ask yourself, “Who can I encourage today?” “Who can I build up?” You have something to offer those around you that no one else can give. Someone in your life needs your encouragement. Someone in your life needs to know that you believe in them. I believe God will hold us responsible for the people He’s put in our lives. He’s counting on us to bring out the best in our family and friends.

    Are you improving the lives of those around you? Are you pouring confidence in them? Why don’t you ask the Lord to give you creative ways to bring out the best in others? As you sow into the lives of others, God will send people along your path that will build you up so that you can embrace every blessing He has in store for you.


    A PRAYER FOR TODAY
    Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You for believing in me and always building me up. I ask that You show me creative ways to encourage and build up the people around me. Help me to be an example of Your love in Jesus’ name. Amen.
    — Joel & Victoria Osteen

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