Death by Coffee (Almost)
The morning started off innocent enough. I had breakfast at a friend’s house — you know, the kind of friend you trust. The kind who prays before meals, smiles big, and butters your toast like he’s running for “Best Friend of the Year.” When it was time to leave, he handed me my travel mug back, now refilled with fresh coffee. I thanked him like he’d just given me gold and headed out. Now, usually, I sip my coffee slow. Like… “watching paint dry” slow. It takes me a good couple of hours to finish a cup. But that day, feeling a little extra lively (or maybe just overly trusting), I went for a big final gulp near the bottom.
And that’s when it happened. Instead of the smooth, liquid goodness I was expecting…I got a tsunami of coffee grinds. Slimy. Gritty. Wet. It was like somebody poured a sandbox straight into my throat. I gagged. I coughed. I thought: This is it. This is how I die. Betrayed by breakfast. Murdered by a man I called brother. For a split second, I thought of Mark 16:18: ”…if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them…” I wasn’t technically drinking poison. But coffee sludge feels close enough when it tries to assassinate you from the inside. After some high-level choking noises and a few dramatic coughs that would make a wounded goose proud, I somehow survived.
Needless to say, next time someone hands me a “friendly” cup of coffee, I’m checking the bottom like it’s an FBI investigation. And maybe, just maybe, Jesus was reminding me that trusting people is good — but trusting Him is better. Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Especially when your understanding says, “This coffee is probably safe.” Because sometimes, even a friend can accidentally (or not so accidentally) try to assassinate you… one sip at a time.
GG Thought: “Life will sometimes hand you a mouthful of grinds instead of a smooth sip. Don’t lose heart — even the roughest taste can remind you that God’s mercy goes down sweeter every time.”