Discovery in Coffee

The other day I went to my favorite coffee shop with a friend. I ordered one of my favorites, a decaf sugar free cinnamon caramel latte. She ordered a long black with room for cream. There is significance in our drinks, I promise. We sat outside at 7:00AM enjoying the beautiful crisp morning. We both had literally just rolled out of bed. We sat in each others presence in our favorite sweats without judgment or insecurity...so we thought! As we played catch up on each other’s lives and gave advice on conflict in our own. I found myself staring at her drink across the table. I was completely distracted that after 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes she hadn't touched her drink. I am a classic Ally McBeal coffee drinker. My coffee has a purpose. There is a specific reason I order each drink that I consume. The flavor, the size, the temperature, it all has a purpose. The first sip is the defining moment of the mood of the coffee. My coffee brings back memories, moments, smells; it is a piece of tapestry in my life. I know it probably sounds crazy, but there is a mood behind every cup! Do I order a Chai, an ice tea, a latte, with whip or without? Heavy foam or extra hot each decision carries it's own result. As I continue drinking my own cup of Christmas I am still completely frazzled that the other cup is sitting there untouched! Why? My friend began sharing the identity crisis she was having. She was on a journey to find out who she was. In her research she had found that she had changed over the years to become a person that others approved of. She lost the very essence of who she was. I think in our quest for approval we often find that we alter our lives to fit into others. We need to remember that in our quest for relationships, we should find them adding to our lives not stripping us of our identity. My friend sat there realizing she hadn't been true to herself for a very long time. Finally, she asked herself, who am I? This is a question that all women should be asking themselves. Who are YOU? What do you like? What do you not like? Can you answer those questions without being influenced by others opinions, judgments or even approval. In my friends search or should I say in her victory...outside a little coffee shop she realized that time and time again she ordered a coffee that someone else always ordered, over time she had come accustom to releasing her desires, even in a simple cup of coffee. That morning we discovered that she never even liked the coffee she had committed to buying for years. So, in our dying to ourselves we need to know that we do not do this for man's approval, but we do it only to discover who He created us to be! Maybe it's time to leave your coffee untouched!