WOW. One favorite food? When I have so, so many? I could list ice cream, or bulgogi (curious?), or strawberry shortcake, or chicken with artichokes, or CHOCOLATE. All favorites. Sigh...how to choose?
But then, I got thinking, also spurred on by Hannah over at Aspire, about my coffee. Sure some could say that I was all in it for the caffeine, but for me, the coffee has a deeper meaning. So, now with that intro, I will boldly state that coffee...specifically coffee at Startbucks, or Caribou, or Dunn Brothers...is probably my favorite food. I mean, beverage. Want to know why? Well, I'll write about it anyways.....:)
I didn't start out as much of a coffee drinker. Even when I was in college studying architecture and interior design, when I was up late creating scale models, I just didn't reach for coffee. Specialty coffee was a newer phenomenon back then (notice I didn't say WAY back then). There was a coffee house in the student union building. So I'd get a mocha now and then...but SERIOUSLY...I was terrified to even order. There were so many choices, too many, and it was just weird. Too bad there wasn't wikipedia WAY, I mean back then.
So I got married, had Hannah (who came up with this fun idea), Chloe (my aspiring pastry chef...and man, is she good), and Grace. Then we moved to San Diego for a while. And let me tell you that Starbucks is EVERYWHERE out there. And they had drive-thrus. Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but when you are the mother of three young children a drive-thru can make or break the deal. Especially when you used to live in Minnesota (which, by the way, is the current state of residence). So I'd find my little green mini-van slipping through the Starbucks drive-thru. And I became hooked.
ahhh...the drive-thru
Well, now by the time we moved home several Starbucks and Caribous began to get the idea that a drive-thru was a great idea. I don't know how having a drive-thru when it's -22 degrees helped business. Are you kidding me? It's AWESOME. Anyways, I learned to love my little treats.But there's still something deeper.
Money was tight. There weren't many luxuries that I could buy, and my husband, Todd, always wiggled in room for me to get a latte once in a while. Then he got sick. By this time we had Caleb (our 5th baby). Caleb was six weeks old when we noticed something wasn't right. And then it took another 5 weeks for Todd to finally have surgery, find out it WAS cancer and then begin treatment. Well, the day he had surgery I was at the hospital alone except for baby Caleb. I still don't know why I was there alone. I cannot believe no one came with. However, I've started to believe that it was critical that I was there alone. I wept and poured my heart out to the Lord. If there had been others I probably would have hid the rawness, the aches, the pain and the fear.
Ok...coffee connection?
When I came down the elevator after saying goodbye as they led him off to surgery I started to pray. And I prayed and prayed and prayed. I remember praying this quick, 2 second silly prayer, "and please Lord, let them have REAL coffee...like Caribou." I'm not sure why that came out in my prayers, but it did. Perhaps it was comfort, or security that I was wanting. Well, I get off the elevator and I walk to the food area, and I see a sign that states:
Methodist Hospital PROUDLY serves Caribou Coffee.
I was blown away. My coffee mattered. My little, itty-bitty prayer mattered. It put into focus what a caring God we serve. Not only can He move mountains, but he loves me, and you, so much that those little details, the little quirks about ourselves, matter to Him. And, how I love Him.
The four years since this date have been full of joys and struggles. There have been really devastatingly hard times. Our financial picture became trashed due to almost a year of lost work. The economy crashed. Pain. And still joy. My Elijah. And Samuel. And the amazing blessings of my five older children: Hannah, Chloe, Grace, Brennan and Caleb. That we are still cancer free. We have a home. Amazing friends.
I still get my coffee. The kids have discovered that without it it's like my kryptonite. So if they see me stressed, or anxiety-ridden, they'll tell me, "why don't you go get a cup of coffee mom? We'll tidy up and watch the little ones." Tidy up? (my other trigger point) and Get coffee? They've got me figured out.
I know coffee isn't all that I need. The Lord is truly the number one. There have been times where I've fasted from coffee. But, I'll tell you the truth, that for me, coffee is comfort, relaxing and a fave food of mine. And deep, deep in my mind I'll never forget the blessing of the dreary December 19th when I saw the Caribou sign in the hospital lobby.
I can't wait to hear about all your favorite foods! Link up. Join in. :)
(oh, one last thing...one year I received $65 of coffee gift cards for my birthday. Then this year I got a Keurig coffee maker which can brew Caribou coffee. I think it's safe to say that my secret is figured out)
