Temptation Isand

Yes, a cup of coffee in a throw-away cup is an island of temptation. As part of my Lenten journey this year, I'm working SO HARD at not using throw-away cups. I have used four during these past few weeks, which considering the volume of coffee I drink on Sunday mornings alone, is near miraculous.

But here's the scene from last Friday: Friday's are my day off. Fridays are usually filled with the following: I put away the nasty pile of clothes that winds up on a chair near the bed. I scrub things. I water plants and pays bills. And I get my hair cut.

I had walked down to the Village of East Davenport to get my hair cut last Friday. I had been busy all morning, and rushed down there. I had not had lunch, or any caffeinated beverages. And I'd been talking and fretting with a stressed-out buddy on the phone all morning.

I got my hair cut (cute). And, as I'm not buying new things during Lent, I politely declined buying all of the awesome products my hair-dresser enticed me with. And I felt sad, as I love those products. But here's the real clencher. I had a head-ache, and my sure-fire way to get rid of head-aches is to get a latte, like the beautiful creation above, and drink it. Yet in my haste to leave the house, I left my to-go mug at home.

Sigh. No coffee for me. This was the first time during the last four weeks that it was a real bummer not buying things and not using throw-away stuff. It has been inconvenient and sometimes annoying not to buy anything, but this was a first. I was very tempted to buy a latte. But without it easing my head on the way home, I took the time to pray for my stressed-out buddy, and all of the other things that were pounding away in my head. I'm glad I was latte-less.