"He'll take care of you."

Sit back, relax.  I (dianna) have got a little story for you (enjoying this while drinking a cup of coffee would be completely appropriate).

As many of you know, there's a Starbucks onboard the Africa Mercy.  It's not really a Starbucks...it's more of a really great cafe'/snackbar that serves Starbucks coffee.  However, we call it Starbucks and it's certainly the closest thing to a Starbucks for millions of miles (or maybe just thousands).

Dozens of people are daily made a bit happier by the coffee served and the drinks prepared here....and the prices are amazing!  Because the coffee is donated, the crew only pays for the milk and syrup and such used in the drinks.

My favorite Starbucks drink of the hot persuasion for quite a while has been a Caramel Macchiato (kind of makes me feel sophisticated to say it....).

So, shortly after arriving on the ship last August, I decided it was time for a treat.  One Caramel Macchiato, please.

Unfortunately, it wasn't very good.  I was a bit disappointed.  And, unfortunately, I don't "know my coffee" well enough to tell someone how to make it the way I like it.  The upside of this is that I didn't get into the habit of getting Caramel Macchiatos often...next to never actually.

I tried another one around November (happy birthday to me!). Again, it wasn't so good...

Here's where the story gets better.  In January, I got a really great Caramel Macchiato.  it was sweetened perfectly (and if you know me, that's quite the accomplishment!).  It was made by the ever so friendly and capable Ibrahim.

From that point on, I got into something of a habit.... if I walked by the Cafe and Ibrahim was working and I had even a partial craving for a coffee drink, I would get a Caramel Macchiato.

Fast forward to about April...I walked by the Cafe...Ibrahim was working - but he was at the cash register and another "new girl" was making coffee.

The following conversation (or something similar) happened:

Me: (in a quiet voice in an attempt not to offend the new girl) "Ibrahim, is there any way you could make me a Caramel Macchiato?  You are the best at making them!"

Ibrahim: (with a smile....pointing to the new girl) "She'll take care of you...."

Me:  (disappointed)  "oh...but yours are always good!  is there any way you can make it?"

Ibrahim:  (again smiling....in a very knowing way....) "SHE will take care of you."  (read between the lines:  "Trust me!  She knows what she's doing!")

Me: "oh..ok..."

So I proceed to the counter and ordered my Caramel Macchiatto....and all of a sudden this "new girl" starts whipping it all together and it's so obvious that she knows what she's doing.  Turns out she not only worked in a Starbucks (in Seattle!), she was the manager of the only Starbucks to have 100% Customer Satisfaction for 4+ months!  KJ definitely served me the best Caramel Macchiato I've ever had (and has continued to bless me in so many ways with her coffee making skillz and her friendship!).

It's stuck with me.

I thought I knew what I wanted....I thought I knew what was "best" for me...I thought I knew just what to ask for.  Turns out I didn't.  And there was the voice of Ibrahim saying - so knowingly and so lovingly - "She'll take care of you.  Trust me...."

How often do I do that with God?  I think I know what I want...I think I know what's best...I think I know just what to ask for. And there's His voice saying, "I'll take care of you...I'll bless you...I'll give you more than you even know that you want/need...TRUST ME."

my most recent caramel macchiato...my cup runneth over....

He'll take care of me.  He'll take care of you.  He's a good God who gives good gifts - even gifts in the form of Caramel Macchiatos and life lessons learned through cups of coffee.

Surely there will be more to come.