Monday, October 31, 2016

Take Time To Taste The Coffee

While trying to ignore workmen shouting loudly over nail gun fire when the nail gun machine recharged with air pressure, I was surprised to be wooed by the still small voice of the Lord. Now is a good time to write. Take time to smell the roses.

I replied without speaking. God, "How about smelling the coffee? No, better yet - tasting the coffee!"

See, I am on Day 24 of a 30 Day Cleanse. No coffee, no vino, no dairy, or carbs or even so much as a nut, seed or unhealthy fat. However, for all those workmen in the other room I have set the coffee pot brewing and enjoyed the smell even though I knew I would never taste a drop. I have been smelling coffee but not tasting it for 24 days. I do have time to smell the coffee. Just not taste it.

Smelling roses is not something which appeals to me right now but that which I am forbidden to taste calls me from the darkness!

Such is life. God gives us time. He also allows temptation as well. We are told to take time to enjoy life but do not sin. How often do we not take the work break because we have too much to do? This can fall into sin in the way of believing the lie that we can be in control. We need to accept the fact that our Heavenly Father is in control and not us or Father Time.

Not only could we have taken a break, but we had a chance to pray for someone during our break. That would have been going beyond the smell right into the taste of redeeming the day.

In Psalm 34:8 (ESV) God tells us Taste and See...

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Those are 2 senses which I love to combine. When you go to a winery, you swirl the glass and you look at the "legs" of the wine even though we often don't even know what that measures! And then we taste. And it is good!

My sister Sandy one year while on her exciting international work travels, brought me back a container of Rose Tea from Hong Kong. It looked like pink roses and smelled divine! I was thinking about how I would be able to drink a rose. But, my oh my! You gotta try it!

Although the rose petals were diced - when I added the boiling water, they shriveled up into a beautiful fuchsia mass which was like a huge fuchsia explosion in a cup! Since it was bulk tea I should have grabbed a tea ball (what is wrong with me? lol)! But, what I remember most about the first time ever drinking that tea is that I first saw the tea as I placed it into the cup then smelled it even before the hot water hit it. I tasted it and it was even rosier than words can describe. Touch was interesting in that it had very little substance. It felt like a very thin onion skin. Hearing was not part of the experience.

What I am getting at is that I did not take time to just smell the roses, but tasted, touched, and saw the roses!

This experience led me to wondering what experiences in life do I experience all 5 senses at one time? And this is humbling, but right now as I hear the workers work in my home, and I look out my office window at the palm fronds moving slowly in the breeze I taste this wonderful smoothie I blended with coconut milk and raspberries. I touch the keyboard as my fingers do the dancing. I smell the fragrance of the Holy Spirit as I inhale His Goodness.

Taste and See that the Lord is good...

Beloved, be reminded that though you may not be in a "Zen" experience like a hot rock massage or sticking a flag into frozen ground on Mt. Everest, or even something so enjoyable as being given a very large shopping spree - know that having all 5 senses and being able to enjoy the gifts God has given you to use are better than smelling only! Taste the coffee, taste the roses, taste the victory, taste the answered prayer, the Perfect Attendance reward, the 20 Year Anniversary, the paying off of the student loan or even something so simple as finding the last organic Baby Bok Choy in Fresh Market (that would be me).

I have to say that I have not blogged recently as my home is under siege with workers (yeah, already mentioned that lol) and since we moved from our last home, my writer's den has not confessed itself yet. I even bought a Logitech keyboard to use with my new laptop which does not inspire me. All this, and I still did not surrender to the Holy Spirit ideas I could have easily blogged - until today.

What is different about today, Lord?

And He so patiently and lovingly replied, Today,  you have not tasted coffee, but you have tasted My presence. You have made room for Me today. This is why today is different.

Lord, make me lie down in green pastures. Psalm 23:2

And yes, the coffee perking and perked will be inhaled - and tasted on the morning of November 8th. But it will pale in comparison to the realization today with knowing I can have all 5 senses working  - - - - at any time. I just need to take the time to smell, taste, see, hear and touch. And then to thank the Lord of my life, my Savior Jesus Christ. For He is good and worthy to be praised.........

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