A Coffee Pot of Hope

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

The best surprise I ever pulled off was for my husband’s 30th birthday. He did not even have an inkling of what was coming. The kids were 5, 3, and 1, and I remember that I took a nap before everyone came. I clearly had no clue on the details, just the big picture of surprising Kurt.

We sat down to supper like normal that night. I remember tensing up when we looked through our large picture window and saw a pickup as it came down the big hill and into the ranch we lived on. An early guest! My husband knew the truck didn’t belong to anyone on the ranch. I focused on the art of distraction, talking while we continued eating his birthday meal. 

The cake was hidden well. For some reason I didn’t think I could hide a frosted cake, so some of the Bible study ladies offered to frost it when they came. That cake was frosted within an inch of its life while everyone mingled.

More people came, and the surprise was fully blown when a rancher pulled up from 80 miles away. My husband realized what was going on, and I decided we needed coffee. We had been living in cowboy country long enough to know we didn’t know how to make coffee, so I poured a full pot of water into our coffee maker and then asked a ranch wife to measure the grounds. I could almost hear everyone’s delight when offered true cowboy coffee from my kitchen. 

But, I forgot to tell her I had already poured the water in, and my friend poured in another pot of water.

I watched as the water overflowed out of the coffee pot and onto the kitchen counter and floor. I was embarrassed for myself and for my friend who would never have made that mistake on her own. She was undaunted–there would be coffee at Pastor Kurt’s surprise birthday party thrown by his un-detail-orientated wife!

The wisdom of Proverbs 13:12 overflowed from that kitchen into the whole house that evening.

Though my hopes were dashed for being the perfect hostess, I can’t remember one comment about the coffee that night. I do remember the way the ranch ladies jumped right in and helped me host my first surprise party. I remember lots of laughter and lively conversation, but mostly I remember the way my husband’s eyes sparkled. That’s what I was truly hoping for!