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A Morning View By the Wood Stove

There was a brand of coffee that I really did not care for. Each time I drank it it was bitter and never set well in my stomach. My reaction when someone talked about such coffee became, "Oh, I do not like that brand of coffee, it does not sit well with me." 

One day a friend brought me coffee. It was smooth, bold and had a fresh taste. It had stout and great flavor and better yet, it did not bother my stomach. I asked the friend what brand it was and the answer was the brand of coffee I never drank because I did not "like" it. I recently purchased a new brand of coffee and it is good. 

Have you had a bad experience with church or religion? Have you turned away from God because you did not like the bitter taste of judgement you received and it did not sit well in your stomach? Have you been hurt by the church intentionally or unintentionally? Have you used the words, "I have no space for God because of the way I have been treated by so called followers of God?" 

More importantly than coffee, if you had a bad experience with a church or Christian people it does not mean that a differently flavor of the same brand will mistreat you. It means you encountered other broken people on your journey who hurt you. It was not Jesus who hurt you or perhaps just failed you because they are fully human as are we. Do not let a bad experience with people and institutions become a barrier to God's great gift of freedom in Agape love. 

Seriously, the coffee is good! 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

    do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

    and he will show you which path to take.” - Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT


Peace,

PB

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