Faith & Insight: Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?

"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world."

- Matthew 5:13-14 Message Bible

There is an old story about a young man who went to see his mother, and told her about how things in his life were getting to hard for him. He did not know how he was going to make it and wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

His mother took him to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil.

In the first pot she placed carrots, in the second pot she placed eggs, and in the last pot she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about 20 minutes she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and poured it into a bowl. She then asked her son, "Tell me what do you see?"

Carrots, eggs, and coffee, he replied. His mother brought him closer and asked him to feel the carrots. He did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her son to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell he observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally the mother asked her son to sip the coffee. The son smiled, as he tasted its rich aroma. Then the son asked his mother "What does it mean?"

His mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity (boiling water). Each had reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, it became weak after being subjected to the boiling water. The egg had been fragile. It's thin outer shell had protected it's liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, it's inside became hardened. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

His mother asked her son, "Which are you?"

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with the pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength? Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do you have a fluid spirit, but after hardship or some trail, do you become hardened and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or are you like the coffee bean who changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain?

Which are you? With God's love we can change the world around us.

• Pastor Dave Goodale is a pastor at Capitol Christian Center.