The process of making an espresso coffee is simple and straightforward. Measure, grind, pass steam through, and enjoy. As simple as it is, making a perfect Italian espresso is complicated. Everything matters. The bean. How the bean is ground. The tightness from tamping the grind into the espresso basket. How the basket grind is polished. The pressure of the steam, especially if one is pulling the shot. Finally, the temperature and type of cup for serving the espresso. With endless variables, a perfect Italian espresso is unusual.
I enjoyed a perfect double espresso this week. It was amazing. Even as I enjoy a fresh cup this morning, I am thinking about that cup, reflecting, being in the moment, and enjoying all that it was and is.
As complicated as life can be, where one stands is clear. I fall back into the trap that it is all about status and power. Ironically, where one stands is the easy part of the puzzle. You and I are Divine children, members of the same family. Old reminders play out today; “I want to lay all this out on the table as clearly as I can, friends. This is complicated. It would be easy to misinterpret what’s going on and arrogantly assume that you’re royalty and they’re just rabble, out on their ears for good. But that’s not it at all. This hardness on the part of insider Israel toward God is temporary. Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house.” (Romans 11.25)
Life’s variables are endless, yet there are simple choices in any given moment. With an espresso, the more experience one has in making them the more consideration one takes with each step. With the complexity, it is good to remember, the steps are the same. Choose one foundation, beans with an espresso, carefully. With each step, exercise care. The emotions you bring into the process will show in the cup that is enjoyed.
It was a great cup. Today is an opportunity for another.
