Coffee and Roses
On the way to 5 Senses to Prayer Book 2 - #33
Good morning friends
In my part of the world it’s 6.30am as I sit down to start writing and in just over two hours the moment of the winter solstice will arrive. I’ve promised my daughter I’d make her a winter solstice breakfast to be served and eaten at the exact moment of 8.50am when the solstice occurs in Auckland, New Zealand.
This is what I’m planning on making this morning… served with a blueberry compote made from frozen blueberries harvested in summer from our garden.
If you missed our recent edition of The Seed Disperser it’s full of ideas for the solstice (Summer or Winter) and also ideas for Aotearoa’s upcoming Matariki long weekend.
The last couple of weeks I’ve spent quite a bit of time with my Dad. I’ve shared here before that he has dementia. He also has crohn’s disease and is in the middle of a flare. This is not ideal at any time, but turns out to be much harder with dementia. The combination of the dementia and crohn’s is not going well due to the intensity of the drugs they’ve given him to bring down the inflammation. I’ve had a few days with Dad to give my mother a break and a few nights staying at their place while Mum gets some sleep elsewhere. Mum and Dad live next door to me so I’ve been over there every day with one thing or another. It’s been an interesting time!
Dad loves going for a drive in the car and it’s both calming for him and provides just enough interest without increasing his current high arousal state. So we drive. I’m working my way through listening to a few of Dad’s old favourite musicians from his younger years. Yesterday we listened to Jim Reeves. Dad’s favourite was the song, ‘Welcome to my World’. I know I’ve heard it before, but it really brought me delight yesterday. The welcoming inclusivity of the song felt very poignant as we were driving and talking about some very random things.
After I had my own Crohn’s diagnosis following emergency and dramatic surgery in 2014, I felt like a physical sensation God’s arms around me. I’ve described it variously as being wrapped in bubblewrap or being in a zorb. I felt surrounded and cushioned by God’s love and protection. They lyrics of this song reminded me of the protection offered when we step into God’s heart. As I listened I felt again, the sensation of God’s love as a physical embrace of protection, support and strength.
Step into my heart
Leave your cares behind
Welcome to my world
Built with you in mind
Welcome to my World written by Ray Winkler and John Hatcock
As you can tell, things are a little bit full on for me just now and while my head is full of writing ideas, my time is limited. Today’s edition was supposed to be full on winter solstice ideas but instead I’ve followed what I’ve been doing myself the last few days. I’ve been trying to lean into all my supportive practices. Sensory prayer is one of the practices that keep me grounded and provide moments of wonder and joy. Today’s prayers are both my tried and true personal favourites. Little moments using my sense of smell that give me strength and hope for the day ahead or the day that has been. Smell is one of our trickiest senses. When we intentionally use our sense of smell we can find quick moments bringing about change in our energy, reactions and thoughts.
The first prayer today is a morning coffee prayer. I can’t drink coffee anymore. That’s a result of the surgery which has left me with insides that make me ‘look like an alien’ on the scans, according to my lovely gastroenterolgist. There’s a lot of things I can’t do, so I’ve learned and am still learning to make adaptions and adjustments. I might not be able to drink coffee, but I can still smell it and that’s actually the best part anyway! Fortunately my husband makes himself a morning coffee and the smell of freshly ground beans fills the air so I can get my coffee fix via my nose rather than having to drink anything. It’s a moment of pause and reset. A reminder to take notice of my surroundings, to breath in deeply and to let my breath go… along with the things that aren’t essential to get through the day ahead.
Roses have always inspired me to write. I have planted roses at every house we’ve lived in as an essential writer’s tool for myself. My current rose garden still has the odd buds in flower, but it’s time for pruning now so that by November they’re in full bloom again. The rose garden is next to the driveway so before I hop into the car each day, one of my rituals when going out or coming home is to stop and smell the roses. It’s a prayerful moment. As I go out, it’s a moment to give God the day ahead. As I return home it’s a moment to give thanks for what has happened in the day. It’s surprising how much peace comes from prayerfully smelling the roses.
Both roses and coffee appear in the saying, ‘wake up and smell the roses/coffee’. The idiom means ‘to realise the truth about a situation or to become aware of what’s really happening’. The saying is surely based on the actual smells of roses or coffee. From my experience, they do something to my brain and give me a moment to pause, readjust, reassess, take stock and breathe. A moment of respite to offer strength and hope for what’s ahead.
So that’s where I am right now. Looking for the moments and appreciating them when they happen, leaning into my senses and feeling those protective arms of God around me.
If you don’t like the smell of roses or coffee, find alternatives that work for you! Let your sense of smell guide you this week to find moments offering pause and reset.
May you find hope and strength in your own places and spaces today
On the journey
Caroline
Morning Coffee Prayer
Sense of Smell – Supplication & Petition (SP.SM.9)
Think of all the things you have planned in the day ahead. Make yourself a cup of coffee from freshly ground beans or stop by a local café and take in the fragrance of freshly ground coffee. Close your eyes and inhale the smell of freshly ground coffee. Use your sense of smell to allow you to pause. As you inhale the fragrance of freshly ground coffee, give the plans for the day ahead to God. Invite God to be with you throughout the day. Invite God to help you focus on what’s really important in your God-filled life. If you can’t drink coffee, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying the smell regardless.
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