When my children were little and about the age they would have started to ask to see movies... and play videos... and do things some of their friends were doing...
Things that I did not I wanted their precious little minds filled with...
We had coffee together... a coffee they would never forget...
They were always asking to have a sip of my coffee.. they really came by it honestly. I am a huge coffee drinker! They delighted in their occasional sip...
But I would never let them have a cup... even a small one with tons of milk... until one very special day.
On a beautiful fall Saturday I announced to my eight and seven year old that it was COFFEE DAY! This was the day they both could have a cup of their very own coffee(decaf, of course) . My children were gleeful!
The deal was... they had to help make the coffee too. That made them even happier.. they felt so so grown up!
First, they got to choose their mugs and placemats and napkins... and they set the kitchen table.
Standing on stools... my daughter got the water for the coffee and my son helped to scoop the bean into the grinder and pour them into the coffee filter.
There was more water and more grounds around the coffee maker than in it!
They both insisted that THEY should press the magic start button!
"Wait a minute"... I said, "There is more to add to the coffee" as I proceeded to pull out a paper bag.
"Mommy, are we going to have cinnamon in our coffee today", my little seven year old squealed... "I love coffee with cinnamon"!
"No not today", I said... as I pulled out the contents of the bag one by one and put it in the coffee filter....
an eggshell... a chicken bone... an lemon peel...some doggie kibble and ... ugh... a used tissue!
I'll never forget the stunned look on my darlings faces... quickly followed by their shouts of eeeeuuuuu and yuck!
Keeping a pleasant look on my face I let the "coffee" brew and filled their cup to the brim... ignoring their very loud and very distressed protests!
"Well, drink up", I cheerfully exclaimed!
"NO" they both chimed in unison.
I went on to ask them why and we got into the real meat of this object lesson...
They both would not drink the coffee because of all the "yucky stuff" I put in it.
"But there is a coffee filter that filters out all the big chunks"... "Go ahead, today is coffee day".
The protests got even louder... so I sat them down and taught them about Philippians 4:8...
FINALLY, BRETHREN, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS OF GOOD REPUTE, IF THERE IS ANYTHING EXCELLENT, IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTHY THINK ON THESE THINGS.
I went on to explain that there will probably be friends that will want them to see and do things that aren't good and pleasing to God... and even if they might not think some of those things are not that bad or that it wouldn't effect them... the FLAVOR of ungodly things cannot be filtered out and really can hurt them.
Just like drinking the "garbage" coffee could make them sick.. so could letting even little things they should not see or do.
We spent a long time time talking about this ... over little cups of fresh coffee with lots of good milk and sugar... and cinnamon.
We are never to old too remember that even the slightest things that are flavored with the evil and base things of this world have a bad effect on us.
The strong filters in our lives may keep the big chunks of ungodliness out ... but the flavor of evil will still be ingested... and it is harmful!
I hope you remember this little story as you pour you morning cup of coffee... and are blessed!
Wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteGreat lesson! Bless you! :)
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteEven when your children were younger...you were wise beyond your years! I praise God for the Godly woman I know in you now...and for the Godly woman you were before we met!This was an enlightening story this morning! Thank you for your continual messages through Scripture Sunday!!! Have a blessed day!
Fondly,
Pat
What a powerful lesson to teach your kids. Today's world has plenty of evil to tempt them, but I'm sure they will think twice about taking in the bad stuff. I enjoy reading your blog. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIf you had that coffee with adults I guess you could say, "garbage in-- garbage out.". I think even adults might get the message seeing your coffee illustration. Thanks for the story and lesson. Have a wonderful Sunday, Yvonne.
ReplyDeleteWonderful story! This was a great way to make a precious memory and teach a life lesson at the same time!
ReplyDeletePowerful, powerful! Everybody should be blessed with such a mother! It would make such a difference in the world! Thank you so much for this teaching.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is such a great lesson to teach your kids! You weren't just reading the Scripture verse ~ you brought it to life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to illustrate that what we watch, read, listen to, etc. have an effect on our lives. I have always liked to use illustrated lessons, especially with kids, as these stay with them for years. Bless you for not only making an impact on your children, but reminding us as adults that what we fill our lives with does matter! It matters for now, and eternity.
ReplyDeleteBRAVO!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing.
You need to write books.
Not the first time I said that but truly, you REALLY NEED TO!
This is amazing.
WOW!
This is beautiful. What a lesson.
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteWhat a meaningful object lesson - one they never forgot, I bet. Thanks for reminding us too. I'll be thinking of this when I drink my coffee. Praising God for you today,
Cecilia
A very good object lesson! So simple but so full of truth. Thank you for sharing this today.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, This made me smile because I too was taught a valuable lesson much like this one.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather was a smoker and my sister and I would watch in wonder at how cool he looked and how much fun and tasty it must be. So when he would give us a quarter to go the penny candy store we would often purchase candy cigarettes, and we would practice with them in anticipation of the day we were grown up enough to smoke real cigarettes.
Finally when I was 5 and my sister was 6 my grandfather told us that today was going to be special, he was going to teach us how to smoke. So he put one of us up on each knee, gave us a cigarette, lit them and told us to suck in our breath as hard as we could. I mean to tell you, 40 years later my lungs are searing writing this note. We coughed and gagged and my grandfather took away the cigarettes and he told us that they were very bad for you and even though he smoked them it did not mean they were a good idea.
Neither one of us has ever had a cigarette to this day, sadly my grandfather died at the age of 74 of lung cancer. I still miss him everyday and am thankful for his lesson and love.
Have a wonderful week, Elizabeth
I'm not a coffee drinker, but I love your lesson. As a teacher, I love using metaphors to get a point across. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, this is a wonderful object lesson. How true! And it's true fro big folks, too.
ReplyDeleteI needed to hear this today. I have a friend who emails me all of this political garbage. Some true. Some slightly off base. Some downright false. I called her on the latter a few days ago. She apologized when she realized she was emailing false statements. . But it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. It ruins my day. It makes me dwell on the negative, and that is never good. It's also ungodly.
My grandmother was big on sayings, "Pretty is as pretty does." But I would like to add, "Pretty is as pretty thinketh."
XO,
Sheila
Yvonne, this is an emample of what I have said to you here and on FB before also: you have such an impact on so many people.-Beautiful object lesson beautifully recounted here. I agree with Michele from the Nest at Finch Rest--you should put these things together into a book--much, much wisdom is here from the Sunday scriptures. You have several more books here also. As I say over and over, I am so glad you have returned to blogging! Your pictures and the info you prepare and share here are so full of great things--things of beauty. I am so glad I found your blog and that you found your way back to us!!!! Diana
ReplyDelete