A Revelation in Every Cup

I drink two cups of coffee every single morning (unless I'm only provided with one).  I have an extremely difficult time beginning my day without it.  In fact, right now as I'm writing this, I'm wishing I had a cup in hand *gets up, moves to kitchen, and makes a cup*

It's in the process of brewing now.  Anyway-- when I was in college I would get coffee from random coffee shops almost every day to help me do homework or stay awake during an early morning class. Anyway, one of the places I would get coffee from always had the phrase "a revelation in every cup" printed on the little cardboard sleeve they give you to protect your hand from burning.  I always found that funny--obviously I never found the revelation at the bottom of the cup because I never found myself getting any wiser as a result of drinking it.  Sometimes, it didn't even work to keep me awake or focused.

However, coffee accompanies me during times of reflection, morning devotions, writing, etc.  In fact, whenever I hear the word "reflection" I always assume coffee was/is/will be involved.  So lately, it seems like revelations have been accompanying every cup of coffee I drink--and as you can probably guess by now, I drink a lot of coffee.

It's one of those times when things are really beginning to make more sense.  For the past few years, life has been confusing, especially after graduating college.  Right after I graduated, I was confused about what I wanted to do.  I knew where I wanted to go, but having a location without the rest of the details being filled in is a little unnerving. I chose Campus Crusade for Christ as a way to get myself to Madison, but that didn't work out, since fundraising my entire salary proved to be as impossible as everyone said it was.  However, after becoming engaged to the wonderful man in my life, my parents were much more supportive of me moving out here to be with him (he goes to grad school at UW)... so we found an apartment for me and I moved out of "the nest".

Since then, things have been confusing career-wise and relationship-wise.  I don't know what I'm supposed to do for a job and I don't have my family or close group of friends anymore to shape my identity.  I feel like I'm crumbling under pressure from a source that I can't even identify.

However, lately it seems like some things are falling into place.  I have a writing job now working with Dale Suslick on his book Lost One Million, and I recently had an interview at Panera Bread that seemed promising.  I calculated that I just need a job that pays at least 8.75 an hour for 20 hours a week in order to support myself.  From there, I can finally start budgeting my money and finding out what it means to be an "adult" in that sense.  My relationship with my fiance has been smooth and peaceful lately, which is a huge blessing from God that I'm not going to take for granted ever again.  I'm learning how to love him in a way he responds to best, and to trust that he really loves me even on "off" days.  Also, coming down off of this time of confusion and worry, I've realized that I've neglected to really communicate with people back home, and I'm finding I really miss them.  Also, I've just been finding that having gratitude and hope are two extremely important parts of my life and have been trying to integrate them into my thoughts and attitude.  Overall it just seems as though God is working things out and showing me things I didn't see before.

Anyway, I'll post this on Facebook so that people back home can be updated about what the heck is going on in my life.  And for those of you who read this, I'd love to hear what kind of revelations you're having in your own lives and how I can pray for you.

Peace and God Bless