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***There are several versions of this making the rounds on the internet, but I love it and wanted to share it with you in case you haven’t read it. The author is unknown…
A young woman went to her grandmother and told her how things were so hard for her that 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 though when one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and 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 granddaughter, 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 were soft.
She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. “What’s the point, Grandmother?”
Her grandmother 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 subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside 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 granddaughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
So, ask yourself: Which one am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Or am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, do 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, actually changing the hot water, the very circumstance bringing the pain? When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.
If you are like the ground coffee bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
So, how about you? When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, which one are you?
Bio: At a time of physical upheaval in 2000, Lynn Mosher felt led of the Lord to take up her pen and write. With this new passion, she has embraced her mission to reach others through Christ-honoring literature, encouraging them in their walk and offering comfort through the written word. Lynn lives with her hubby (since 1966) in their Kentucky nest, emptied of three chicklets, and expanded by three giggly grand-chicklets, and an inherited dog. You can find out more about Lynn by visiting her website, Heading Home.
Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean? is a post from: CrossReads
