Coffee

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got
together for a visit with their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work
and life in general.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon
returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups:
porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite
exquisite.

Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old
professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the
small gathering.

''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up
first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only
natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the
so urce o f much of your stress-related problems."

He continued. "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the
coffee.

In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of
you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the
best cups. Then you began eyeing each other's cups.''

"'Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society
are merely cups.

They are just tools to shape and contain Life, and the type of cup we have
does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live.

Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that
God has provided us.


God brews the coffee, but he does not supply the cups.


Enjoy your coffee!''

T