James 4:4-6
You people aren’t faithful to God! Don’t you know if you love the world, you are God’s enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”? In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say,
“God opposes everyone
who is proud,
but he blesses all who are humble
with undeserved grace.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve been cleaning out old photo albums that belonged to my parents and grandparents – trying to decide what to label and keep – and what can go. Don’t judge – we are drowning in old photos! And while I love each one, there are plenty of pictures of people no one knows, landscapes from long-ago trips that are so faded you can barely make out the image, and lots of duplicates. Yesterday, I discovered four photos of my maternal grandmother, my great-aunt, our next-door neighbor, and several other dear ladies who collectively formed what I called a “coffee klatch.” I think officially, they called themselves the “Coffee Club” – or often just “Coffee” for short.
The “Coffee Club” formed in 1938 – the year before my mother was born. They met each Monday morning for coffee after their husbands went to work – even bringing children along in the early days. When the war broke out, the ladies met at a local department store and rolled bandages for the Red Cross. After the war was over, these women resumed their meetings for coffee. By the time I came along in the late 1950s, the “Coffee Club” had taken things to new heights…at least as best I can remember! They always rotated where the coffee was hosted, with each of the eight or so ladies taking a turn. I can remember when it was my grandmother’s turn to host, she worked for several days to press linens, polish silver, set the table and make sure every detail was “just right!”
The photos I shared were snapped in 1977, at my parents’ home. Grandmother was no longer able to host a coffee herself, and I remember that Mother offered to do this for her. If you look closely at the photos, Mother had pulled out HER finest crystal and china – and prepared a breakfast feast second to none. Every detail of this event had to be perfect in my grandmother’s eyes. I shared these photos on Facebook and tagged children and grandchildren of the ladies who attended. I also shared a story that ran in our local newspaper about the Coffee Club.
One person commented that these ladies were all active in their churches and communities…and indeed, the group included Baptist and Methodist women…and perhaps a guest from another denomination on occasion. They shared far more than coffee at these get-togethers. These ladies were my grandmother and great-aunt’s dearest friends. But what struck me was how important the “details” seemed to be – at least for my grandmother. When she would “have Coffee” at her house, it was a BIG deal…and the details were what seemed to matter most. I would venture to recall that the next day, the question was not whether everyone had a good time, but rather, “Did they like how everything looked and tasted?”
I get it…I am a “details” person. But over the years, I have left the china and crystal in the cabinets and drawers in favor of paper plates and cups – and more time to visit with family and friends. Well into my adulthood, my family always had lavish holiday dinners, replete with the fancy tableware and linens. But one summer evening, we had an impromptu get-together at my parents’ house, where we “dined” on pimiento cheese and tuna fish sandwiches, and some hastily made potato salad and baked beans. There might have even been a store-bought bag of cookies for dessert – or maybe a brownie mix thrown into the oven last minute. But I’m pretty sure we used paper plates and cups.
My cousin noted as he left that we had such a great time…and we really didn’t need a big fancy meal for that. We also began to enjoy impromptu “wiener roasts” – where everyone grabbed their lawn chairs, coolers of soda pop, store-bought chips, cookies, marshmallows, buns and hot dogs – and we headed to one of our area campgrounds on the lake for a day of catching up and reminiscing. These were some of our best family get-togethers, and everyone came away remembering the fun of being together – not the preparation and cleanup!
We are reminded in this scripture passage that God is jealous. When we make things about something besides Him – or loving others and serving them in the name of Jesus – God does not like it one bit! He wants our focus and our aim to always be about Him. When we worry about what others will think…how we look…whether our homes or church buildings are nice enough – or we have state-of-the-art (aka “fancy”) gadgets and gizmos…or even that the “right” people are included…we are concerned with the wrong things. The message for this day is to “let it go!” Let God have complete control – and all the attention. Make everything you say and do about serving and pleasing Him and see how far God takes you!
One of my friends suggested that we should resurrect the Coffee Club of our grandmother’s generation. If we can meet at a local coffee shop and keep it about the people who attend, I’m all in! As we move forward, let’s all focus on doing God’s will and loving others in the name of Jesus. When we keep the attention centered on our Heavenly Father, He will surely bless and multiply our efforts and our joy. Alleluia!
©2023 Debbie Robus
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