Source of energy?

I stumbled up, half awake, into the kitchen, being thankful for the already set up coffee maker, all I had to do was turn it on and in a few minutes I would be able to enjoy a steaming hot cup of delicious Honduran coffee, curl up on the couch for some quiet time, enjoying the beautiful scenery outside my large window and savoring a few moments of silence and calm before the day begin.

While waiting for the espresso maker to do its magic, I sat on the couch, and opened my Bible. My experience over many years of trial and error is that my time alone with God in the morning is absolutely and unequivocally vital for the success of the day. I need to start with Him and Him alone and somehow all the rest fall into place. I read a passage, thought about it, meditated on the words and how they would apply to my day and periodically shot a glance over towards the stove, thinking – 'isn't the coffee ready soon…' I clearly had my priorities 'straight' coffee first, thank you very much. When my impatience finally took over (which probably was pretty quick, patience is not one of my virtues) and I got up to check on the coffee, I realized that I had in my morning fog turned on the wrong burner! There was no wonder the coffee was not ready! I quickly moved the coffee pot to the red hot burner; it took only a few minutes for the coffee to be ready. Coffee mug in hand I went back to my spot by the window and began to reflect on sources of energy.

From where do I draw my strength? What makes me alive? What gets me up and going in the morning? I must admit that there are many things that makes me get up and go, and my energy often comes from the things and people I enjoy being around. So if things are not enjoyable, or people around me disappoint me because they are human beings just like me, I am lukewarm or even cold, much like my coffee maker on the wrong burner.

I need to make sure that I am plugged in all day long to the source that gives me strength. God is always there, ready to help, encourage, support and shore up, yet if I am plugged in to another source I am not drawing on His great and amazing powers. I need to be on the right burner to get the energy I need.

Likewise, when I turned off the stove, there is residual heat for a bit, but sooner or later the burner is cold again. Spending time with God in the morning gets me going, but to keep me going I need to not turn Him off. He needs to be my source and strength all day long, not things or people.

Amazing what God can teach me with a coffee pot early in the morning... May your burner remain red hot all day long and the pot be on the one.