Susan LaffertySimple shelter. Close quarters with eclectic decor. Spare furnishings.
She welcomes us in. And starts the fire on a small charcoal stove. Takes her sauce pan and pours in the green coffee beans, newly washed.
And so it begins.
The slow, deliberate way of an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Traditional hospitality. With laughter. And conversation about life.
Daily and eternal.
Rhythm and order. Discipline. With a pattern specifically laid out for God’s people in the Old Testament.
Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Annually.
With sacrifices. Sacred assemblies. Festivals.
Divinely-designed schedules. Reminding them to remember. And honor the Lord their God.
As a people set apart for His glory.
Only one thing teaches me God’s will.
And gets me out of my own preconceived ideas. About what I can and cannot do. Or who I am. Where I need to be.
Only one practice. One way of living and breathing. Teaching me His greater purpose and meaningful plan.
Daily abiding in the Vine, Christ Jesus.
Learning this necessary truth takes time and effort. Surrender.
But sooner or later, I clearly see.
Only He is the root and sustainer. The source of true life and fruitfulness.
