Ramblings from Retirement – Find Your Peace

 Ramblings from Retirement – Find Your Peace
By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen
May 6, 2021

For me there is nothing better in the morning than to sit listening to the squirrels chattering outside, the red-winged blackbirds singing, and the sounds of people mowing lawns while I begin my day drinking a black cup of coffee. I grind some Guatemala Antigua beans, make four cups of the smoothest tasting dark nectar there is.

My mother taught me to drink straight black coffee. Except her coffee was often boiled in a pan of water on the stove and had the consistency of crude oil. Instead of pouring it you cut off a chunk and swallowed it whole. She would often let it cook on the stove or in her newfangled peculator all day as she wandered back and forth getting a new chunk in her cup. She learned to make coffee as a young girl in Wyoming cooking for cowhands. Lest you think it had a detrimental effect on her, she lived into her early 90’s and continued to drink plain black crude oil of coffee all day. She grew up poor and tried to escape it by going to Alaska as a young teenager.

Sitting here today I was reminded of what Jesus related to his disciples: “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:25-27 NIV)” Sadly my Mother was not a believer but she did find some comfort in a strong cup of Joe each day.

A good cup of coffee soothes the soul and I do not mean the prissy thousand calorie quasi-milkshake sugar induced confections that are often swilled by Starbuck drones. I mean a good black cup of freshly brewed coffee where the smell of roasted beans and the fresh scent of brewed heaven wafting up and gently engulfing you like a cloud. Now I know some of you will say that tea is better, but come on really? Green leaves boiled into nasty weak soup as opposed to a real drink made dark and rich? The best way to have tea is with a lot of lemon, sweetener, and ice. I jest of course so please no snarky remarks.

I drink my brew in a Donald Duck mug because he is my favorite cartoon character and always has been since I was a kid. When I first saw Donald lose it and go into his famous rage madly quacking and then the next instant be gentle and calm he reminded me of my Mother. She was like that. She could be the sweetest person one moment and then go all Donald Duck on you the next. However, the one thing that brought her joy was her coffee in the morning. She would sit by her patio door, listening to the birds in her backyard, looking out at her flower garden full of roses and a myriad of other flowery blossoms and the orneriness would melt away. She would drink her coffee and forget about her poverty, her stress, aches and pains, and allow it to be soothed away. We learned as kids to make sure she got her first cup as soon as she got up.

Dear child of the Lord I do not know if you like coffee or not, tea or some other thing, but what I want to leave you with today is take time to relax in the Lord and find your peace of mind in him. Do not let your heart be troubled by the cares and concerns of the day and allow them to melt away in the presence and peace of the Lord and perhaps a cup of coffee.

This article is copyrighted © 2021 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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