Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Are you a Carrot, an Egg, or Coffee Bean?

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. In the first pot, 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 do you see?"
"carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.
She did and noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take
the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to smell and sip the
coffee. The daughter smiled, as she smelled and tasted it's rich
aroma. The daughter then asked, "what's the point, mother?

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
same adversity-boiling water-but each reacted differently. The
carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after
being sunjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg has been fragile. It's thin outer shell had protected it's liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, it's insides 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 trials and adversity knock 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 passive heart, but changes with heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, 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 a 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 become better and change the situation around you.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity?
Like the CARROT, the EGG, OR the COFFEE BEAN?

After my week of *trials* I feel I am like the coffee bean.

1 comment:

steve said...

that is a good way to look at life I think I am a coffee bean also