Brewed To Perfection

I went to visit a friend whom I had not seen in years and was able to meet her family for the first time. My visit was only a few hours, but it felt like a much-needed extended retreat.

It was as if time slowed down and every pressing thought that I came with was pushed away. The only thing allowed on the prefrontal stage was enjoying the moment with my friends.

In that time, Kibri (my friend’s husband), made for me the best cappuccino and talked about how coffee was experienced in Eritrea (their home in Eastern Africa). The cup comes only after a time of preparation and patient waiting. It is a ceremony that begins with the green coffee bean, which is roasted in a pan (traditionally on an open flame) before grinding it with a mortar and pestle. The ground coffee then goes into a special vessel with boiling water where it can seep to perfection. The process takes around two hours to bring about that cup of espresso that can then be served. The coffee is good, but the best part is the experience of gathering and enjoying the time together.

I can’t stop thinking of this, especially in terms of how we approach our time with the Lord. I am accustomed to getting up in the morning and grabbing a cup of coffee using my Keurig Coffee maker. It is quick and I get to have coffee in minutes. I think at times I approach prayer in the same way. I expect that I can come to meet with the Lord and have immediate results in that time. But the instant results are not the best part of prayer. The best part is the experience. The time I get to have fellowshipping with the Lord and simply enjoying the pleasure of being in the throne room, comes with knowing that He has welcomed me and is there with me, preparing me for His blessing.

Something happens when we look for time with Jesus, rather than look for opportunity to see his hand at work. I have learned that when I come to simply be in His presence wonderful moments brew in my heart; and always in the end, He has filled my cup with a taste of Heaven. Sometimes He answers concerns that were not even mentioned. But, why not? He already knows my needs. I want those times with Him to slow down. I want to experience His fellowship and know that even if I do not feel His presence that He has something brewing just because I came to be with Him.