The Carrot, the Egg, and the Coffee Beans
After the choir beautifully sang their rendition of the popular gospel song "I Won't Complain," our Pastor surprised the congregation with a sermon titled, "I will complain." He exposed our attempt to "fake the funk" about not complaining, when in fact, we do so more than we think. Some of you are probably complaining about something while reading this blog post...I'm just saying. The Biblical reference (Psalms 77:1-12) was about Asaph, who had been in God's favor but found himself going through a rough time. He questioned and complained God about his situation, but later reflected on the love, grace, and mercy that God had shown him over time. So, Asaph began to offer up praise.
True to form, our Pastor brought it all together by giving us three reasons why we should not complain. Each point showed us how God's greatness always outweighs any complaint or problem that we take to him.
At the end of the sermon, our Pastor told a story that I'm sure most of you have heard or read: Are you a carrot, an egg or coffee beans? In the story, each item is placed into boiling water, which symbolizes adversity and hardship. The carrot enters the water very firm and hard, but comes out soft and mushy. Before an egg is placed in boiling water, it has a thin and fragile outer shell protecting a liquid interior. It comes out, however, hardened on the inside. In both instances, the boiling water changes the composition of the carrot and egg. The ground coffee beans, on the other hand, changes the boiling water by releasing fragrance and flavor.
So, the question remains, are you a carrot, an egg or coffee beans? We all experience adversity and difficult situations at some point in our lives. Instead of adding stress by complaining, we should approach them like the coffee beans. They became better and changed the situation around them. No matter what you used to be, a carrot, an egg, or coffee bean, we should strive to face adversity with strength and confidence. View the situation as an opportunity to grow because you never know what you might learn in the process. We have the power to change our situations and not allow them to break us or turn our hearts hard and cold.
