God and Coca Cola

In Mexico, eggs can be bought by weight at the corner grocery store. As missionaries in Mexico City, this system worked to our advantage when funds were low. It was possible to scrounge up only a few coins and enjoy an egg or two for breakfast. It was one of those days; we had searched under the couch cushions, shaken out our wallets and looked in pockets to come up with a few cents for eggs. As I was walking the short distance to the local store, suddenly the strangest urge came up inside of me-I wanted a Coke! It was odd for me to feel this because Coke was something I rarely drank or craved, but it rose up in me like a sudden volcano. I am not sure if it was the bubbly, sugary sweetness I craved or if it was more an internal cry of protest against the constant financial battles that always seemed to challenge us. All I know was that I said in my mind, “God, how I wish I could buy a Coke!” That thought was not even fully out of my head when I looked down and at my feet there was a shiny 10 peso coin lying in the dust. A whole dollar! I could buy a Coke and an extra egg or two! Joy flooded my heart, drowning out the desperation I had felt just minutes before. That Coke sure did taste good, but the sweetest gift I received that day was the knowledge that there is a God who sees and cares about every detail of our lives, and He doesn’t mind using something as simple as a Coke to remind us of it.

Image retrieved from: http://www.popandroll.com/coke-art/Coca-Cola_Art_Calendar_1a.jpg