Coffee Or Something Like It...

For many people, a cup of coffee isn’t just having a hot drink, it’s a ritual, a passion, even a coveted time of the day. They look forward to it, set timers to make it, spend many dollars on it, invite friends to share it with them and in general, consider it a necessary part of getting up, waking up and just being up.However, there are times when circumstances are such that the favorite brew is either not available or non-existent. It could be a local emergency such as a power outage or a problem with the harvest of coffee beans or shipping etc. It could even be a survival situation where one finds them self without the grind, the press or the pot.But with a little planning, it is possible to have at least some coffee on hand, or a substitute, as well as a way to prepare it for drinking. Backpacking companies and outdoor suppliers sell a variety of portable coffee presses, coffee pots and percolators. These along with sugar and creamer packets can make your situation much more endurable and maybe even enjoyable. Indeed, a little advanced preparation goes a long way. Some people even stockpile coffee for use as a barter item if there were ever a long term national crisis scenario.In survival or any emergency, coffee drinkers find that the caffeine helps them stay alert and awake, the familiarity brings them a sense of comfort and cold weather can be made more tolerable.Probably the best type of coffee to have on hand for emergencies is the freeze-dried type. All you need is a cup of hot water and something (like a stick) with which to stir it. It is best if you have some kind of metal cup (non-insulated) that you can actually put into the coals of a fire in order to heat it up. Stainless steel cups are widely available and one can find them for around five dollars. Of course you are going to need a pair of gloves, pliers or a handkerchief to take it off the fire. Then you simply measure in the amount and strength of coffee you want, stir and drink. There are no grounds left over and only a rinse is needed for clean up. Please do remember that coffee is a diuretic and that may hinder you staying hydrated.If you’re truly in the wilderness and without coffee or a metal container for boiling, you can look around water ways and often find glass bottles which can be scoured out with sand and gravel and after a test boil will be clean for drinking out of.If you don’t have any coffee with you, Dandelion roots or Chicory roots can be dug up, cut into coffee bean sizes and roasted in a cup, pot, pan or bottle until dried and browned. Then, using two stones as a mortar and pestle, grind them as finely as you can. Put the grounds into a sock, handkerchief or torn off piece of a shirt hem and boil them. It won’t have any caffeine and it doesn’t really taste like coffee but it’s a whole lot better than nothing and will contain healthy substances for your body.So, go get some coffee, a percolator or press and your favorite additives. Then, when you find yourself in the midst of an emergency or survival situation, you can sit back and enjoy the comfort and ritual of your normal life. Just a little dose of the familiar can make a tough time much more manageable.

Spiritually speaking, being able to enjoy what God has created in this world is a rare treat for most of us. We go from crisis to crisis, trying to earn enough to keep body and soul together and pay for all the stuff that we thought we needed when we signed on the dotted line.  Even our vacations are a frenzied rush to drive or fly to our destination and upon arrival we pack every minute with sight seeing and excursions, day life and night life, we collapse into a hotel bed or maybe even a tent at night, exhausted, only to get up the next morning so we can cram in a little more before the trip is over. Sometimes we even joke that we need to come home from the vacation to rest!  At any rate, the Scripture states that God has “given us richly all things to enjoy” I Timothy 6:17.  Are we really doing that? Are we richly enjoying our life or are we pining away for the things we don’t have?  Truly the best thing that we can do in any situation, whether it’s a crisis or not, is to take the time to savor the best things of life. Maybe that’s a cup of coffee or or time spent with a loved one or even just some time alone and away from the rat race.  Whatever brings you into that quiet place of peace with yourself and God, seek it out and spend time there.  And while you are in that special moment, take time to enjoy the coffee or something like it!

Thanks for reading!

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James B